In Greek mythology, departed souls have to take a ferry across the river Styx to get to the underworld. This ferry is piloted by Charon, who’s paid with a coin the deceased is buried with. In Superman, the ferry into Lex Luthor’s pocket prison universe is driven by Mr. Handsome, the alien-looking creature who steers a boat from the portal to the various locations hidden from Earth. And according to James Gunn, this character is more than just a strange creation for the movie — he’s Gunn’s favorite character, and has a surprising connection to Luthor himself.
James Gunn took to Threads to post a collection of images of Mr. Handsome, including one of him and Eve (Sara Sampaio) taking a selfie. “When people ask me my favorite character from Superman it just might be Mr. Handsome,” Gunn wrote. “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.”
