The Super Powered Fancast

James Gunn has been put in charge of the DC Cinematic universe and already speculation is running rampant about what direction he will take the universe in and what new characters we might see in the near future.

The first shot fired was an Instagram post where Gunn put up a picture of Mr. Terrific on his page with no explanation. A move that prompted me to get my Fancast fingers in motion to speculate on who could be playing one of the smartest men in the DC universe.

Created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake for issue #57 of The Spectre, Mr. Terrific aka Michael Holt was a child prodigy who excelled at anything he put his considerable mind to. He is not only a gold medal winning Olympic athlete, but he also holds multiple Ph.D’s across multiple disciplines and became a self made multi-millionaire. After a personal tragedy, Holt becomes inspired to become a superhero and uses his tech and expertise to help others.

Mr. Terrific is one of my favorite characters in comics and I would love to see his adventures on the big screen. So here are some of my choices of who could play Mr. Terrific.

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown has established himself as a dramatic and comedic actor with roles in series like This Is Us as well as the recently released Honk For Jesus. He always brings an air of confidence and gravitas to every role and definitely has the physicality to play Mr. Terrific. What makes him stand out to me is what the character could potentially be in the new DC Cinematic universe. With Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller poised as the overall antagonist in films like The Suicide Squad and Black Adam, Mr. Terrific could be the perfect counter to her character as Holt has led several teams including the Justice Society. Sterling K. Brown could definitely play the strategic opposite of Davis’ character and a confrontation between the two would be fantastic.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has amazing range as an actor. He can play comedy, action and drama brilliantly on screen and has showcased those talents in films like The Harder They Fall, Sorry to Bother You and Atlanta. He could bring great energy to the role of Mr. Terrific if James Gunn and Warner Brothers wanted to go for a more action oriented or comedic, edgy tone like Gunn brought to The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.

John Boyega

I will keep screaming this form the heavens: Justice For Finn!! In all seriousness, John Boyega has always been a charismatic actor in both drama and action films. From his performance in Attack the Block to the recently released The Woman King, Boyega has shown that his range as an actor is unparalleled. I know he is rightfully shy about getting back into franchise features after being criminally under-utilized in the Star Wars films, but I think he could bring a dynamic energy to the role of Mr. Terrific and instill the character with a great sense of charm and presence.

Omari Hardwick

If James Gunn and DC are looking for a darker edge to the character of Mr. Terrific, then they can look no further than Omari Hardwick. After doing great character work in series and films, Hardwick landed the breakout role of James “Ghost” St. Patrick on the hit series Power. Playing a charming, smooth, but dangerous character is something Hardwick can definitely pull off and Holt embodies all of those qualities. Hardwick not only has the physical presence necessary for the character, but he also the ability to embody Holt’s aloofness as well.

Who do you think could play the perfect Mr. Terrific for James Gunn and DC Films? Let me know your choices and what you think of mine in the comments.