One of the most attention-grabbing features of director James Gunn’s excellent new “Superman” film, which has become a massive hit despite changes in the box office for superhero movies, is how it leans into its comic book origins — specifically, the density of detail and care put into the designs and the world-building. One especially memorable flight of imaginative fancy is the character of Mr. Handsome, the humanoid creature who steers the cargo ship in Lex Luthor’s (Nicholas Hoult) pocket universe.

Although Mr. Handsome doesn’t have any lines and doesn’t factor into the plot except as the pocket universe’s obedient chauffeur, the strikingly-designed character is particularly close to James Gunn’s heart. And while Mr. Handsome doesn’t do much in the way of verbal or facial acting, he did require an actor of a certain physical resourcefulness to bring him to life. That job was done by an expert: American actor Trevor Newlin.

If you’ve been following multiplex releases in the past few years, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the Texas-born Newlin on screen — but there’s also a good chance you didn’t even realize it. Newlin, who stands 6 feet, 7 inches, has quickly become a specialist in donning prosthetic makeup and elaborate monster suits to play physically imposing, vaguely humanoid creatures.

Before essaying Mr. Handsome in “Superman,” Trevor Newlin appeared as the Xenomorph in 2024’s “Alien: Romulus.” The same year, he also played the Monstrosity, the true, primal form of the entity terrorizing Naomi Scott in the delightfully nihilistic sequel, “Smile 2.” In both cases, Newlin’s precise and committed physicality as a live performer went a long way in making the creatures come off as truly frightening; “Superman” marks another step in the actor’s seeming journey to help Hollywood usher in a revival of practical creature effects.

Of his experience playing Mr. Handsome, Newlin wrote on Instagram, “What a joy it was to bring him to life … It’s been incredible seeing how many people love the character and I’m forever grateful that I had the opportunity to be Mr. Handsome.” According to the same Instagram caption, in addition to Newlin’s work as performer, Mr. Handsome — an original character created by James Gunn — was also brought to life by the considerable talents of Legacy Effects designers Scott Patton and Savannah Suderman, among other artists.

As Gunn himself revealed in a July 29 Instagram post, Mr. Handsome might be his favorite character in “Superman.” Which is much more understandable when you factor in the creature’s tragic, fascinating backstory: Mr. Handsome was generated in a Petri dish by a 12-year-old Lex Luthor, in a rudimentary attempt to create a human. Although the experiment wasn’t altogether successful, Gunn notes that “he just might be the only one in the world Lex has any true sentiment for, as evidenced by the photo on his desk.” Said photo, of Mr. Handsome, is a subtle detail that speaks to the care with which “Superman” was assembled in every department.