In the lead-up to James Gunn’s Superman, I’m writing a series of short essays about what I think are the important things I feel ought to be in a Superman movie. Or at least, this one. Not every Supe movie needs Luthor, but he’s in this one so I’m going to write about Lex.
I will be informed by what we’ve already seen pre-release, by past Superman depictions on film, and my knowledge (decent, but not extensive) of Superman in the comics. I post these here for your reading entertainment (Avocado can be thin for content I find sometimes) and invite anyone interested to add their thoughts. All predictions are just that: I could be wrong about any or all things, and my opinion is solely mine, though I’m going to try and keep my thoughts in third person.
My hope is to have these up every weekend, with the following topics:
- Lois and Clark
- Lex Luthor
- The Kents
- The Justice Gang
- “Look Up”
LEX LUTHOR
As Samuel L. Jackson once told Bruce Willis,
“In a comic, you know how you can tell who the arch-villain’s going to be? He’s the exact opposite of the hero.”
Lex Luthor is everything Clark Kent is not. Superman puts the needs of others before his own. Lex puts his desires above the rest of humanity. Lex is a super-genius who, in Superman’s words, “could have saved the world years ago if it mattered to [him].” Clark comes from a humble Kansas farm, Luthor (depending on the story) inherited wealth from his father and became phenomenally wealthy by patenting his inventions.
Recent depictions of Luthor on screen have tended to play up his role as a businessman. Gene Hackman may have an underground lair and a henchman, but for the most part he’s just a rich man with a crazy real estate scheme who gets his hands on some Kryptonite. Jesse Eisenberg apparently hates Superman because his (Lex’s) daddy beat him as a kid so God=bad, and given how heavily the DCEU leans into the “Clark=Jesus” thing, Lex just gotta kill him, I guess. And basically act like some combination of Joker and the Riddler or something.
Nicholas Hoult’s Luthor, by comparison, seems to have it in for Superman on a very visceral level. Superman has become “the focal point of the entire world’s conversation.” This, Lex insists, he will “not accept.”
The direction that Gunn and Hoult seem to be going with this Luthor clearly is taking its cues from “All-Star Superman,” and a Luthor that hates Superman for his very existence. He’d rather the world be deprived of a protector than not himself be considered the center of the universe. Real “main character syndrome” energy, as the kids today say.
The 2025 version of Lex Luthor also looks to be reaching back into the Silver Age of comics, as he’s obviously not just a business genius, but clearly has extensive technological know-how. And before anyone makes any Elon Musk comparisons: NO. That’s BvS’s Luthor. This one apparently actually knows what he’s doing with the tech. No cybertrucks to be seen.
This is a Lex Luthor who apparently has made a hobby out of imprisoning metahumans, and seems to have the power of suppressing the abilities of those metas, if Metamorpho’s reaction to Superman’s jail-break is any indication.
It’s still unclear how Luthor is going to be related to the Authority, Engineer and/or Ultraman, though it’s clear from the Fortress of Solitude scene that the Engineer, at least, is working alongside, if not for, Lex.
So those are my thoughts on Lex Luthor, Ruler of Australia, and of what may or may not happen in a little over a month. Have a great rest of your weekend, and let your own thoughts fly below!
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