DC Studios is developing a live-action Mr. Terrific TV series spinning out of the DCU's Superman film, with Edi Gathegi expected to reprise the role. The project is in active development but has not been greenlit to series, and there is no confirmed platform, release date or episode count.
- Allan Heinberg, whose credits include Netflix's The Sandman and the Wonder Woman screenplay, is writing the pilot.
- Gathegi is also expected to return as Mr. Terrific in Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel due next July, so the character is being positioned as a recurring DCU fixture.
- The news arrives amid Supergirl's disappointing box office, which reports suggest could cost Warner Bros. more than $100 million.
What we actually know so far
The project is in active development rather than officially greenlit, so temper expectations accordingly. What is confirmed is the writer: Allan Heinberg, who ran Netflix’s The Sandman and wrote on Wonder Woman, The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy, is penning the pilot. That is a sensible hire — Heinberg has genuine comics pedigree alongside his TV credits, and the DCU could use a steady hand on its smaller-scale stories.
Gathegi is expected to return as Michael Holt, and not just for the show. He is also lined up to reprise Mr. Terrific in Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel arriving next July — the same film where Supergirl has been confirmed as a major character. In other DCU terms, this is not a one-and-done side project; the character is being woven into the connected slate. Plot, wider cast, platform and release date remain unconfirmed, as does how involved Gunn himself will be.
Where it fits in the DCU slate
The Mr. Terrific series slots into Gunn’s clear strategy of spotlighting lesser-known characters rather than endlessly recycling the Trinity — the same thinking behind the Gorilla Grodd HBO show and a DC crime series centred on Jimmy Olsen that starts filming this autumn. Here is how the near-term slate currently stacks up:
| Project | Format | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lanterns | TV series | Premieres in August |
| Clayface | Theatrical film | In cinemas in October |
| Man of Tomorrow | Theatrical film | Due next July |
| Mr. Terrific | TV series | In development, pilot being written |
Why the timing is awkward — and why it still makes sense
The news landed alongside far less flattering headlines. Supergirl opened to so-so reviews and soft box office, with projections suggesting Warner Bros. could lose more than $100 million on the film. That puts real pressure on the next wave of DCU releases, and reports note that Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios contracts run out in late 2026 or 2027, so how Lanterns, Clayface and Man of Tomorrow perform will shape how much of this longer-term planning survives.
Still, betting on Mr. Terrific is a defensible call. Gathegi was widely praised in Superman, the character is cheap-ish to produce compared with a Kryptonian punch-up, and a tech-genius procedural is exactly the kind of TV that can broaden the DCU without another nine-figure gamble. Whether it survives development is the real question — but as spin-off ideas go, this one has earned its shot.
FAQ
Is the Mr. Terrific TV series confirmed?
Not fully. It is in active development at DC Studios with Allan Heinberg writing the pilot, but it has not been greenlit to a full series and has no confirmed platform, cast beyond Edi Gathegi's expected return, or release date.
Who plays Mr. Terrific in the DCU?
Edi Gathegi, who debuted as Michael Holt in James Gunn's Superman. He is expected to return for the TV series and for the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, due next July.
Where will the Mr. Terrific show stream in the UAE?
No platform or regional distribution has been announced anywhere yet, as the show is still at the pilot-writing stage. Details for UAE viewers will only become clear once the series is officially greenlit.
