James Gunn’s Superman launched the new DCU on the big screen, and it introduced a number of major characters who will likely be important in the growing franchise. We not only met Superman and Lex Luthor but also Supergirl, Guy Gardner, and Mr. Terrific. While many think Mr. Terrific was the MVP of the film, I’d argue that accolade belongs not to a man but a machine, specifically, Gary.
Gary, also known as Four, was the Fortress of Solitude robot played by Alan Tudyk. Tudyk is heard but not seen in many of his film performances, but he always brings his A-game to the performance, often dropping one of the best lines found in the films he’s in. It turns out this is the case even when the line isn’t scripted, as a video from filmfactx points out that the scene where Four suggests a real name was apparently an improv from the actor. Check out David Corenswet’s fantastic reaction that leaves him laughing so hard they have to yell “Cut.”
David Corenswet was clearly not ready for Alan Tudyk to deliver the line suggesting “Gary” as a name because he completely loses it. He almost certainly destroyed this take of the scene when he started laughing, and it’s quite genuine laughter.
Corenswet says the line just “made the movie.” It’s unclear if he means that the improv will remain part of the final film, as in it will make it in the movie, or if it made the movie in the sense that it was the highlight of the experience of making Superman. Both are almost certainly true. It’s maybe not the funniest joke in the movie, but if the line was truly unplanned, it’s not surprising it got such a great reaction as it’s delivered absolutely beautifully.
Seeing this scene being shot is key. The line is great in the movie itself, but considering that Four/Gary is incapable of expression, it may not land quite as well a it does on set. Alan Tudyk has this look on his face of absolute longing. It may be the look that the rest of us would never normally see that was really what sent David Corenswet over the edge of hysterics.
With the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow already set for release in less than two years, it seems all but certain that we’ll see Gary again. Perhaps the rest of the Fortress of Solitude robots will have their own names by then. Personally, I’m hopeful we might see some Superman cameos in the upcoming Supergirl movie in the same way that Supergirl was introduced in Superman. Maybe we won’t need to wait for Man of Tomorrow to see Gary again.