DC StudiosIn 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.”Trevor Newlin as Mr. Handsome on the set of Superman. | James Gunn via ThreadsSo now we know where Mr. Handsome came from. And there is indeed a photo of Mr. Handsome on Luthor’s desk, proving the creature is one of the most important figures in his life, and the closest thing Luthor has to a child. It adds another wrinkle to Luthor’s character: before he was interested in geopolitics, he was trying to control life itself. Mr. Handsome’s inclusion proves how in line with the comics Superman truly is, as weird little creatures would often pop up for a frame or two, only to later get a backstory. For James Gunn and his crew, it looks like Mr. Handsome was also a production mascot.A close-up of Luthor’s desk, featuring a photo of Mr. Handsome. | James Gunn via ThreadsWhile Mr. Handsome was just a minor part of Superman, Gunn has clearly thought about how he fits into the greater DC Universe. Maybe he’ll try to avenge his creator’s defeat in a future DC movie?Superman is playing in theaters.