Latest news with #EdiGathegi
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Superman' Kiss Censored in India, Drawing Fire From Fans and Film Community
James Gunn's 'Superman' has hit a snag in India – not for action, but for its romance. India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) removed two kiss scenes – most notably a 33-second mid-air kiss – deeming them 'overly sensual,' per local reports, to achieve a UA (13+) rating before the film's July 7 certification. The cuts have fueled a backlash over inconsistent and conservative censorship practices. More from Variety 'Superman' Takes Top Spot at Sluggish U.K., Ireland Box Office 'Superman' Star Edi Gathegi on Working Out With the Man of Steel and Why Mister Terrific's Credits Scene Feels Like a 'Promise' for His DC Future 'Superman' Box Office Muscle, David Zaslav's Early Victory Lap, Last-Minute Emmy Predictions and Waiting for Rihanna Online reactions captured the mood. Actor Shreya Dhanwanthary (SonyLIV's 'Scam 1992,' Prime Video's 'The Family Man') posted, reacting to reports of the censorship: 'If this is true, this is RIDICULOUS!!! Some ridiculous crap happens every day. Every. Damn. Day. Sure this is the least of our worries but is something done about anything else? There is some crap every day. Every. Damn. Day.' Digital creator Amol Jamwal wrote on X: 'You can have lewd double meaning jokes in Housefull 5. Beheadings & gory violence in Jaat But…. Superman kissing Lois Lane is where we draw the line' Another user on X posted: 'CBFC would allow horrific scenes of violence and sexual assault in a U certified film that kids are freely allowed to watch, but won't allow consensual kissing in a U/A comic book movie that kids should watch under adult supervision.' This isn't the first such case this year. 'F1' had a middle-finger emoji replaced with a fist, and 'Thunderbolts' was released in India with muted expletives. The recurring pattern has reignited debate over freedom of expression and the CBFC's broad powers under the Cinematograph Act. The CBFC's certification guidelines enshrine freedom of speech and expression but these rights are subject to 'reasonable restrictions' on various grounds, including 'decency or morality.' The 2021 dissolution of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal has further complicated matters, leaving filmmakers with no industry recourse short of legal appeals through India's high courts — a time-consuming and expensive process, particularly for international studios with global rollouts. Variety has reached out to CBFC and Warner Bros. Discovery for comment. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Superman' Kiss Censored in India, Drawing Fire From Fans and Film Community
James Gunn's 'Superman' has hit a snag in India – not for action, but for its romance. India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) removed two kiss scenes – most notably a 33-second mid-air kiss – deeming them 'overly sensual,' per local reports, to achieve a UA (13+) rating before the film's July 7 certification. The cuts have fueled a backlash over inconsistent and conservative censorship practices. More from Variety 'Superman' Takes Top Spot at Sluggish U.K., Ireland Box Office 'Superman' Star Edi Gathegi on Working Out With the Man of Steel and Why Mister Terrific's Credits Scene Feels Like a 'Promise' for His DC Future 'Superman' Box Office Muscle, David Zaslav's Early Victory Lap, Last-Minute Emmy Predictions and Waiting for Rihanna Online reactions captured the mood. Actor Shreya Dhanwanthary (SonyLIV's 'Scam 1992,' Prime Video's 'The Family Man') posted, reacting to reports of the censorship: 'If this is true, this is RIDICULOUS!!! Some ridiculous crap happens every day. Every. Damn. Day. Sure this is the least of our worries but is something done about anything else? There is some crap every day. Every. Damn. Day.' Digital creator Amol Jamwal wrote on X: 'You can have lewd double meaning jokes in Housefull 5. Beheadings & gory violence in Jaat But…. Superman kissing Lois Lane is where we draw the line' Another user on X posted: 'CBFC would allow horrific scenes of violence and sexual assault in a U certified film that kids are freely allowed to watch, but won't allow consensual kissing in a U/A comic book movie that kids should watch under adult supervision.' This isn't the first such case this year. 'F1' had a middle-finger emoji replaced with a fist, and 'Thunderbolts' was released in India with muted expletives. The recurring pattern has reignited debate over freedom of expression and the CBFC's broad powers under the Cinematograph Act. The CBFC's certification guidelines enshrine freedom of speech and expression but these rights are subject to 'reasonable restrictions' on various grounds, including 'decency or morality.' The 2021 dissolution of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal has further complicated matters, leaving filmmakers with no industry recourse short of legal appeals through India's high courts — a time-consuming and expensive process, particularly for international studios with global rollouts. Variety has reached out to CBFC and Warner Bros. Discovery for comment. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mister Terrific Actor Edi Gathegi Says He Was 'Assured' His Killed Off X-Men Character Would Return in Future Films, but Well-Received Superman Role Is More Than Making Up for It
Edi Gathegi is wowing audiences as the scene-stealing Mister Terrific in James Gunn's Superman, but his big-screen superhero journey got off to a troubling start. Gathegi played Darwin, the short-lived mutant in 2011's X-Men: First Class (which, coincidentally, starred Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult as Hank / Beast). In the film, Darwin is able to reactively evolve (hence the name), but is easily killed by Sebastian Shaw. X-Men fans were surprised at Darwin's fate, given the character's established invulnerability in the comics. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gathegi recalled how he had serious concerns about the plot of X-Men: First Class, which he expressed to his agent. 'I was in London after I'd just been offered the role, and they gave me a couple of hours to read the script to determine whether or not I wanted to do it,' Gathegi explained. 'So I read it, and I called my agents to say, 'Hey, listen, I have a problem with the fact that this character is the only Black character in the film aside from Zoë Kravitz's character. I am also the only mutant who meets an untimely demise halfway through the film.' It was 2009 at the time, and I was like, 'Killing the Black guy first is so played out. I can't do this.'' Gathegi said that following talks, he was 'assured' that Darwin's death as we see it in X-Men: First Class was part of a long-term storytelling plan that would have seen his character brought back to life in future films in the franchise. 'So there were conversations that happened, and then they assured us that it was essential for the storytelling in order to motivate the mutants to avenge my [character's] death,' he said. 'They also fully intended to bring my character back as they do in the comics. [Darwin] can't die; he regenerates. So we held onto the hope that they would honor their word.' This, however, did not happen, and Darwin failed to return in any of the subsequent Fox X-Men films (Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, or the most recent X-Men movie, Dark Phoenix). This, Gathegi said, came as a 'surprise.' '... I thought that I would be returning to that franchise over and over again,' he said. 'I thought that there was potential for a bigger future. It was actually a surprise to never get the call to suit up again.' Then: '... the way that they handled my character was a fumble.'Now, Gathegi is philosophical about his history with the X-Men, saying 'I've moved well beyond that.' '... when I didn't come back for X-Men: Apocalypse, I just knew it was done,' he explained. 'So I didn't really look back, to be honest with you. I speak about it when people bring it up, but I made peace with this years ago.' Fast-forward 14 years and Gathegi looks set for a long-term, high-profile role in James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe. After wowing critics and audiences as Mister Terrific in Superman (which got off to a big start at the box office), James Gunn is reportedly considering a Mister Terrific spinoff TV series. The expectation is that we will see more of this character, especially after that post credits scene. For Gathegi, his experience with Superman couldn't be more different than X-Men: First Class. 'The pendulum has swung in the complete opposite direction,' he said. 'With X-Men: First Class, the message that I received as an actor and as a man of color in this world is you can be the most powerful mutant in the world and they'll never let you reach your full potential. Whereas with Mister Terrific in Superman, the message that I'm receiving is you can be one of the most intelligent characters in the universe, and you can make a difference. You can help save the world. It's a different level of conversation.' Check out IGN's Superman review to find out what we think, and then head over to our Superman Ending and Post-Credits Explained to find out what it all means. Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ or confidentially at wyp100@
Geek Culture
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
‘Superman' Mister Terrific Actor Edi Gathegi Has Left His Misused X-Men Character Behind
With his scene-stealing performance as Mister Terrific in Superman (2025) and even talks of a TV spin-off for the character, Edi Gathegi is clearly more than equipped to be a superhero. However, he did not always have the easiest time playing a superhero on the big screen. In 2011's X-Men: First Class , Gathegi played Darwin, a mutant who can automatically evolve to survive any stimuli or environment. Despite being established canonically to be nigh-invulnerable, the character was unfortunately killed off rather easily by Sebastian Shaw in the movie, leading to much disgruntlement from fans who protested the lack of fidelity to the source material. Edi Gathegi as Darwin in X-Men: First Class (2011) In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Kenyan-American star brought up the serious concerns that he'd conveyed to his agent about the plot of X-Men: First Class at the time. He recalled, ''Hey, listen, I have a problem with the fact that this character is the only Black character in the film aside from Zoe Kravitz's character. I am also the only mutant who meets an untimely demise halfway through the film.' It was 2009 at the time, and I was like, 'Killing the Black guy first is so played out. I can't do this.'' Gathegi was then reassured that there was a long-term plan in mind, ensuring that his character would be resurrected in future X-Men films, given that the very nature of Darwin's powers, according to comic lore, allowed for his regeneration and revival. He was told that Darwin's death would merely serve as a narrative device that would motivate the other mutants to avenge his death. But when he wasn't called back to reprise the role in the subsequent Fox X-Men films, he recalled being surprised and disappointed, saying 'the way that they handled my character was a fumble.' Gathegi gradually made peace with the lack of follow-through for the role, stating, 'When I didn't come back for X-Men: Apocalypse , I just knew it was done. So I didn't really look back, to be honest with you. I speak about it when people bring it up, but I made peace with this years ago.' Not that it matters anymore, especially with Gathegi's high-profile role as Mister Terrific in James Gunn's Superman, which impressed fans and critics alike. With a strong showing on the big screen as the Black hero known for his intelligence, gadgets and tactical brilliance, his portrayal of Mister Terrific looks set for a long run in the rebooted DC Universe. Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific in Superman (2025) On his role as Mister Terrific and the drastic difference in treatment, Gathegi had this to say, 'The pendulum has swung in the complete opposite direction. With X-Men: First Class , the message that I received as an actor and as a man of colour in this world is you can be the most powerful mutant in the world, and they'll never let you reach your full potential. 'Whereas with Mister Terrific in Superman , the message that I'm receiving is you can be one of the most intelligent characters in the universe, and you can make a difference. You can help save the world. It's a different level of conversation.' It is evident that Gunn's Superman symbolises hope in more ways than one, and it certainly is a joy to see Gathegi get his comic book redemption on the silver screen with the faithful and powerful adaptation of Mister Terrific. With this empowering start to the DC Universe, one can only speculate about the bright future of Gunn's DC Universe. Curious fans can certainly catch a glimpse of the new DC Universe, beginning with Superman now in theatres, starting 10 July. Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Edi Gathegi James Gunn Mister Terrific Superman X-Men: First Class
The National
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Why the Superman post-credit scenes are different and what they mean for the future of the franchise
Spoiler warning Some Superman fans are torn after discovering the post-credit scenes reveal nothing about what's next – a break from the tradition of teasing future films. But director James Gunn insists that was always the plan. The first post-credit scene is a shot of David Corenswet as Superman and Krypto the dog sitting peacefully on the moon and looking at Earth – an homage to the comic books. Meanwhile, the second post-credit scene features a light exchange between Superman and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), as they survey the damage to the city of Metropolis following incidents in the film. There are no new characters or cameos, or any plotline teases. The decision aligns with the strategy of the newly-formed DC Studios, of which the reboot of Superman is the first big-ticket release. Films from the DC Comics franchise were previously released under the DC Films banner. 'I have a philosophy about post-credit scenes. It's somewhat related to my own mistakes in my time with Marvel," Gunn, who is also the co-chairman and chief executive of DC Studios, told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published over the weekend. He said he has decided to no longer use post-credit scenes to tease new characters or storylines without having a solid plan for them down the line, he said. 'I did not like what I did in Guardians 2 where we set up Adam Warlock and we set up the Guardians of the Galaxy and we set up all this that I didn't necessarily plan on. "I guess I kind of planned on fulfilling that promise, but you want to be careful about that. It was not easy to work Adam Warlock into Guardians 3. I loved working with Will [Poulter, who plays Adam Warlock] and I liked dealing with the character, but at the end of the day, was he kind of fitting a weird square peg into a round hole? A little bit, yeah." Superman has received rave reviews since its release on Thursday, with many praising the film's cast, as well as Gunn's mix of reverence for the character, which first appeared in comic books in 1938, with reinvention. The film has also courted controversy among right-wing commentators and supporters of US President Donald Trump's sweeping anti-immigration policies, after Gunn likened the superhero to an immigrant and called his film "the story of America". On social media, some have even suggested the film was critical of Israel and its ongoing war on Gaza. One of the plots in Superman shows a powerful country, Boravia, an ally of the US, invading the less-powerful nation Jarhanpur. Boravia's plan, we're told, is a settler-colonial project that aims to displace the indigenous Jarhanpurians and expand the Boravian state. In an interview with The Times before the film's release, Gunn acknowledged that his film does delve into politics, but that it was ultimately "about human kindness". 'This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people's goodness,' Gunn said. "I'm telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.' Besides Corenswet, Superman stars Rachel Bornahan as his love interest Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as villain Lex Luthor. The film also features a number of cameos by stars such as Bradley Cooper, John Cena and Milly Alcock, who is set to play Supergirl in a new film set to release in June next year.
