SUPERMAN: The Engineer's "Secret Relationship" With Lex Luthor And Mister Terrific's Nanotech

SUPERMAN: The Engineer's "Secret Relationship" With Lex Luthor And Mister Terrific's Nanotech

The latest DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast episode sees Edi Gathegi (Mister Terrific) and María Gabriela de Faría (The Engineer) sharing new Superman details.

By MarkJulian - Jun 06, 2025 10:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Superman

A brand new episode of the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast has just dropped, featuring two exciting guests from the upcoming Superman film: Edi Gathegi, who plays Mister Terrific, and María Gabriela de Faría, cast as The Engineer, an associate of Lex Luthor.

During his appearance, Edi Gathegi clarified a key detail about Mister Terrific's iconic "T-mask," confirming that it's not paint, but rather made of nanotechnology. This aligns with the comic book portrayal, where Mister Terrific's entire costume often forms from millions of nanotech bots released from his T-spheres.

Gathegi also shared insights into how he developed his portrayal of Michael Holt (Mister Terrific). He initially approached the role with a clear idea formed during his screen test. However, once filming began, the collaborative process led to a more nuanced and intricate performance. "I didn't know what was going to happen until we did it," Gathegi revealed. "I had in my brain how I was going to play the part because I screen tested for the role. So when you screen test for a role, and you get it, you assume that's the way you're going to play it. So, I showed up to set, playing it that way, and it was in the playing that we found something that I think is a little bit more interesting, a little deeper, a little more complex, a little bit more hinged."

When asked about the meaning of "Fair Play" for Mister Terrific, Gathegi explained that it translates to sharing Holt's advanced technology with the rest of the world.

María Gabriela de Faría discussed director James Gunn's vision for The Engineer, describing her as initially intended to be "really serious, poker face, nothing ever happens to her." However, De Faría quickly realized there was more to the character that aligned with her acting background: "Oh shit, happens to her. She feels a lot. And she's really emotional and I think that's telenovela."

De Faría then delved more into The Engineer's motivations and her complex relationship with Lex Luthor. She developed her own backstory for the character, believing that The Engineer genuinely desires a better world. "She probably had some trauma when she was a kid and she felt the need to be part of the change," De Faría explained. "So she is a good person at heart that's extremely broken and is willing to team up with Lex to get rid of what he believes are evil aliens."

Intriguingly, De Faría also pitched a "secret relationship" between The Engineer and Lex to James Gunn. "I also kept telling James that I feel like [The Engineer and Lex] have a secret relationship. I feel like they f**k! Lex is so serious, and he has this gorgeous girlfriend that he treats terribly. So what if, after hours The Engineer gets really mean with Lex and he loves it."

Superman is slated for release on July 11, 2025, marking the inaugural film in James Gunn's rebooted DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. Gunn not only directs but also penned the screenplay for this highly anticipated movie, which was formerly titled Superman: Legacy.

The film boasts a stellar ensemble cast:

  • David Corenswet takes on the dual role of Kal-El/Clark Kent.
  • Rachel Brosnahan portrays the intrepid reporter Lois Lane.
  • Nicholas Hoult embodies Superman's arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor.

A contingent of other heroes and notable figures includes Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.

Supporting the main cast are:

  • Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord.
  • María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer.
  • Terence Rosemore as Otis.
  • Wendell Pierce as Perry White.
  • Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.
  • Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell appear as Clark Kent's adoptive parents, Jonathan 'Pa' Kent and Martha 'Ma' Kent, respectively. Additionally, Milly Alcock is set to debut as Supergirl in this film before headlining her own solo adventure, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

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NoDaysOff
NoDaysOff - 6/6/2025, 10:39 AM
"I also kept telling James that I feel like [The Engineer and Lex] have a secret relationship. I feel like they f**k! Lex is so serious, and he has this gorgeous girlfriend that he treats terribly. So what if, after hours The Engineer gets really mean with Lex and he loves it."


Eyy, i like the sound of this! Lex solo movie next please!
Goldboink
Goldboink - 6/6/2025, 11:09 AM
@NoDaysOff -

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AscendedExtra
AscendedExtra - 6/6/2025, 11:33 AM
@NoDaysOff - the Rule34 fuel this movie is going to produce….
tylerzero
tylerzero - 6/6/2025, 10:41 AM
Funny to hear actors give such an in-depth and complex analysis of the character they’re playing, only for next to none of it being actually portrayed on screen.

(Yes, I understand that’s part of the acting methodology.)
MisterBones
MisterBones - 6/6/2025, 10:41 AM
Lex and the engineer after midnight:
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Goldboink
Goldboink - 6/6/2025, 11:10 AM
@MisterBones -

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HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/6/2025, 10:43 AM
Why didn't they just do Mercy instead of this ...... whoever that is
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UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 6/6/2025, 10:48 AM
@HashTagSwagg - because Mercy isn't part of The Authority.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 6/6/2025, 11:16 AM
@HashTagSwagg -
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/6/2025, 11:24 AM
@UltimaRex - Who?
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 6/6/2025, 1:54 PM
@HashTagSwagg - the pinnacle of grim and gritty (with gay Superman).User Comment Image
RolandD
RolandD - 6/6/2025, 2:57 PM
@UltimaRex - And gay Batman.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 6/6/2025, 3:34 PM
@RolandD - true, but he's definitely in the grim and gritty mold lol.

Apollo was always the fluffy one... until it was time to kill someone anyway...
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 6/6/2025, 10:45 AM
"SUPERMAN: The Engineer's "Secret Relationship" With Lex Luthor And Mister Terrific's Nanotech"

This feels like a sentence that wasn't finished.
SuperCat
SuperCat - 6/6/2025, 10:48 AM
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Matador
Matador - 6/6/2025, 11:14 AM
@SuperCat -

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bobevanz
bobevanz - 6/6/2025, 11:18 AM
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/6/2025, 11:29 AM
Engineer and Lex having an apparent “secret relationship” whether we see any indication of it on screen or not reminds me of Lex Luthor:Man of Steel in which the latter had a romantic/sexual relationship with Hope which was a hero he created to take away attention from Superman…

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I wouldn’t be surprised if this version of the Engineer is somewhat inspired by that character since I think that comic is an influence on this version of Lex , according to Hoult that is.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 6/6/2025, 1:48 PM
@TheVisionary25 - exactly what I'm expecting. Think there'll be some What's So Funny About Truth Justice and The American Way in the mix too with Lex' villains
RedFury
RedFury - 6/6/2025, 4:50 PM
@TheVisionary25 - I'm definitely in agreement that this comic will be at least some inspiration for Lex, and the Engineers arc. From the sounds of it the relationship aspect won't be touched on, but I bet the being used by Lex as an icon to detract from Superman has got to be inspired by it.

My wish is we get a scene of Superman floating outside Lex tower staring Luthor down. I absolutely love the imagery of that moment in the comic.
Pictilli
Pictilli - 6/6/2025, 11:33 AM
Guarantee Lex tapped that.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 6/6/2025, 12:24 PM

I am glad they are really making a huge deal out of super A-list comic book characters like Engineer and 2nd string Mr. Terrific.

Forget Superman and Lois. These two will be what puts butts in the theater seats and makes this movie a 3 billion $ smash hit.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 6/6/2025, 12:43 PM
@DocSpock -

THIS is probably my favorite trait of Gunn’s. He takes C list characters (guardians and many of the task force x) and turns them into fan favorites and whether you like Gunn or not, you can’t deny that. Who would have EVER imagined the guardians would get a trilogy 20 years ago?? Or Peacemaker would get 2 season of an HBO show??

I don’t really like Gunn’s pre Guardians stuff (too edgelord-shock writing) BUT he’s clearly grown a lot as an artist.

Gotta give credit where it’s due.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 6/6/2025, 12:53 PM
@HulkisHoly -

I am a Gunn fan. I really liked the GotG movies, and I liked Peacemaker pretty well too.

I know Hollywood makes him check the boxes, but I think this movie is way overstuffed with nobody characters.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 6/6/2025, 1:50 PM
@HulkisHoly - his cbm track record is the one reason I expect it to land anyway, despite the many characters. I wouldn't trust many other out the gate that fast.

I'm sure Superman will be the core, with everybody else only showing up when needed.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 6/6/2025, 2:20 PM
@bkmeijer1 -

I think it’ll be fine.

A lot of these characters will probably be nothing more than extras. I really don’t expect more than a single line of dialogue from Cat, Lombard, Jimmy, and many of the other characters running around. They’ll get more time in the sequel. Gunn made it clear that Superman, Lois, and Lex are the main characters. Superman is Lead, Lois is Support, and Lex is the Antagonist.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 6/6/2025, 2:33 PM
@HulkisHoly - exactly. I only expect character to appear when needed. Especially GotG1 ia good example of such sequential writing imo
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 6/6/2025, 5:09 PM
@bkmeijer1 -

True. That movie had Quill, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Drax, The Collector, Yondu and ravagers, the Nova Prime, Ronan, Nebula, Korath, Dey, Denarian, Thanos, etc… and that movie is incredible.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 6/6/2025, 1:05 PM
Terminator Genisys CGI nanotech ass villain. So lame.

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