Superman Fans Rejoice as James Gunn Shares Backstory About Lex Luthor’s Ties to Mr. Handsome

DC Studios co-CEO and Superman Director James Gunn has pulled back the curtain on the backstory behind Lex Luthor’s elusive henchman, Mr. Handsome.

The comic book bigwig spilled the beans, alongside a gallery of behind-the-scenes pictures, in a post shared on social media. It comes with more details about one of Superman’s more mysterious characters as fans continue to dig into every easter egg packed into the first major DCU movie.

Of the many, many characters filling the new Man of Steel movie’s two-hour runtime, Gunn says Mr. Handsome just might be his favorite. That’s not because of the Lex Luthor sidekick’s memorable expression or his quiet demeanor but because of his touching beginnings.

“Lex created Mr. Handsome in a Petri dish when he was 12 – he was trying to make a human. He didn’t come out so well, but he just might be the only one in the world Lex has any true sentiment for, as evidenced by the photo on his desk.”

Warning! Light spoilers for Superman follow.

Viewers took a liking to Mr. Handsome when he first appeared as Lex Luthor’s personal, pocket-dimension chauffeur a good chunk of the way into the film. He’s a grey, fleshy creature that doesn’t mutter so much as a word throughout the film, and he’s also impossible not to notice thanks to his name and look. In the weeks since the film’s premiere, he’s broken away as one of the characters audiences have most hoped to see more from.

As Gunn clarifies, Mr. Handsome is played by Trevor Newlin, who is known for showing up in films as other strange creatures. His resume includes the likes of Smile 2’s hideous Monstrosity, for example, as well as Alien: Romulus’ Xenomorph.

Fans have speculated that this Mr. Handsome may have some ties to another Mister Handsome seen in previous DC storylines, but Gunn’s comments all but confirm that the Superman ferryman stands alone as a unique entity in the DCU. At the very least, we’re not sure Lex has ever kept such an endearing photo of another being on his desk quite like this until now.

Mr. Handsome was no doubt the standout for fans and the Superman crew behind the scenes, but DC die-hards are far from done when it comes to finding other details hidden in the new DC movie. Last week, Gunn shared an unobscured look at the History of Metahumans mural tucked away inside Superman’s Hall of Justice. It includes a first look at many of the classic DC heroes who might play a role in the DCU.

For more, you can read our 8/10 Superman review. The David Corenswet-led superhero movie has managed to tower above competition at the box office since its premiere July 11. You can also learn more about every last hero included in that Hall of Justice mural.

Image courtesy of James Gunn.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).