A lot is riding on Superman: Legacy. James Gunn's corner of the DCEU was widely considered the only enjoyable element of the franchise. His creative leadership of the new DCU will rest on whether he can maintain his quality standard. Superman: Legacy will reinvent DC's most important yet consistently troubled hero. Fans have watched announcements like a hawk. DC recently announced The Engineer's appearance in the film, and the strange part is that she's billed as the villain.
Superman has an excellent rogues gallery that goes woefully underused in most adaptations. Lex Luthor, Zod, Darkside, and Doomsday get the spotlight, but his B and C-tier threats are often more unique. Writers often struggle to make conflicts with Superman compelling because he's among the mightiest fictional characters. A physical threat like Doomsday becomes dull quickly. James Gunn appears to be reaching for the other option, using the antagonist to explore Clark Kent as a character.
Superman: Legacy's Main Conflict Won't Be From A Villain
Superman: Legacy will see the Man of Steel once again try to save the world, but the main conflict will come from within.
The Engineer in DC Comics
Real Name | Angela Spica |
|---|---|
First Appearance | May 1999 |
Powers | Liquid-metal nanites allow plasticity, fabrication, and technopathy. |
Abilities | Genius intellect, computer proficiency, knowledge of physics |
The Engineer appeared as part of Wildstorm Comics' The Authority series. Angela Spica is the second character to use the name. Like many DC icons, there are multiple versions of The Engineer. DC acquired Wildstorm in 1998, allowing it to remain an independent imprint within the company until they shut it down in 2010. Wildstorm's name is a portmanteau of the brand's two most popular teams, WildC.A.T.S. and Stormwatch. Stormwatch introduced the original Engineer as a misguided technological genius who sought to free the world from want with his miraculous nanotechnology. Stormwatch killed him with a biological acid bomb. His final act was to send his technology to a potential young protégé, a girl named Angie Spica.
Dr. Angela Spica was obsessed with superheroes from age seven. She dreamed of helping others with spectacular powers like the icons she worshiped. Angie became the brightest student at her school, building circuit boards before her age reached double digits. The first Engineer sent Angie the most comprehensive scientific encyclopedia ever collected, with countless intelligent devices. She works tirelessly to synthesize the machinery into a new form. The result is nine pints of liquid metal. She replaces every drop of her blood with nanomachines. Angie can weaponize her nanites to create anything, interface with technology, fly, and change shape at will. Immortal British Army Intelligence agent Jennifer Sparks invites Angie to join her new team. She becomes a founding member of the Authority, a group forged from former members of Stormwatch.
The Authority is a tricky group to pin down. They are defined as superheroes, but their methods are often questionable. As Stormwatch, the group violently exterminated extremists who broke the rules to make positive changes. The first Engineer could have solved scarcity forever, but Stormwatch brutally murdered him and destroyed his work. The Authority battles impossibly powerful threats like super soldiers and rogue gods. They define themselves by their independence. Unlike other superhero teams, they have no respect for the governing bodies of Earth. The latter half of The Authority's original run was controversial, to say the least. The Engineer represents science as a utilitarian virtue to do the most good for the highest number of people. She sometimes struggles with human interaction, preferring to work with machines. She and the Authority are heroes, but their goals and methods sometimes run afoul of decency. Superman isn't being set up against a villain. He's fighting anti-heroes.
Who is playing the Engineer in Superman: Legacy?
María Gabriela de Faría will portray The Engineer in Superman: Legacy and The Authority. De Faría hails from Caracas, Venezuela. She started acting in 2002, appearing in several telenovelas and teen dramas. In 2008, she starred in several Spanish-language Nickelodeon series, including Isa TKM and Yo Soy Franky. Her first English-language project was Crossing Point in 2012. Comic fans might remember de Faría for her biggest American role, that of Maria Salazar in Syfy's adaptation of Rick Remender's Deadly Class. Superman: Legacy will be de Faría's first major studio blockbuster, and she's promised a significant role in the piece. Legacy is set to be an ensemble project, but the upcoming Authority film assures fans they'll see more of María Gabriela de Faría.
The Engineer is a fascinating character with endless potential. She's an outside-the-box choice for Superman's return, but this is what James Gunn does with every superhero project. He finds minor figures many fans haven't heard of, brings them a perfect new presentation, and teaches the audience to love what he loves about them. The Authority could be a statement on Superman's unpleasant depiction in recent media, both those deliberately satirizing the character and those attempting to reimagine him directly. Similarly, María Gabriela de Faría is a surprising choice for the role that could lend the spotlight to a new blockbuster star. Fans will see the Engineer in action when Superman: Legacy flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.
