Superman is the world’s first and arguably greatest superhero. When he was introduced in 1938 in the pages of Action Comics #1, he was a crusader for the innocent and the oppressed. His enemies back then were corrupt businessmen and politicians. By 1940, however, comic book readers were itching for more formidable foes for the Man of Steel to face. It was this need for a more diabolical mind that birthed the character that, to many, is Superman’s defining villain: Lex Luthor. However due to dissatisfaction from fans over how and how much Luthor has been depicted on film, this most iconic of Superman’s rogues may not make an appearance in the upcoming Man of Steel reboot. I believe this would be a major injustice to fans and to the character of Superman himself.
Introduced in Action Comics #23, Luthor has taken many forms throughout the years, as comic book characters are known to do. In the beginning, known simply as Luthor, he was a genius scientist bent on world destruction. His master plans of world domination were ever more elaborate and were orchestrated from his flying city. Jump to 1986 and we find a new Luthor; one that harkened back to Superman’s roots: an evil corporate executive with an ever-increasing thirst for power-and hate for Metropolis’ favorite boy scout. Ever since, the comic book versions of Lex Luthor have slid back and forth between these two extremes: underground, insanely smart criminal, or high-powered evil executive with an endless budget. All the while, fans have eaten it up. No matter which version of Lex he faces, Superman is always pushed to his physical, mental and emotional limits.
The Superman film universe is a very different story…
When the now-iconic film Superman: the Movie opened in 1978, the world was introduced to a different Lex Luthor. The ego was there, sure, as was the hatred for what Superman stood for. However the character frankly lacked vision. Touting his intellect during most of the film, Luthor’s plan involves causing an earthquake to sink California so that the new western seaboard, all apparently owned by himself, would see an increase in property value. Seriously? I would have been more impressed with a Dr. Evil approach: Threaten to nuke Metropolis (oh yeah, Lex hijacked nukes) if 1 Billion dollars is not delivered right away!
For his next scheme in Superman II, he takes an even lazier approach. The Earth has been invaded by General Zod and Company. Superman has retreated to a location unknown to his foes and they are furious. Enter “Lexxy Baby”. Luthor offers to give away the whereabouts of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude in exchange for… Australia. It doesn’t take a genius level intellect to know that three evil supermen from outer space don’t need to honor any sort of agreement like that. I would imagine, if I were Lex, I would be pulling for Superman in that fight. After all, one is easier to beat than three.
Lex is MIA in Superman III and II prefer to pretend Superman IV didn’t happen, so we’re going to jump straight to the most recent, and I believe most pitiful depiction of Superman’s arch-nemesis: Superman Returns. In the opening scene of the film, we see Lex Luthor do something brilliantly wrong: swindle an old, dying woman out of her fortune. This looks promising! Now a legitimate millionaire with untold resources at his disposal, Luthor immediately sets about…another dastardly real estate scheme. This time, he plans to use Kryptonian technology to grow a Kryptonite island in the Atlantic which he will then sell to the masses of earth who are dying for a bleak rock to live on. Right.
The genius of Richard Donner’s original Superman film could be the topic of an entire course at film schools everywhere (and probably has been); and Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns is a fitting and poetic love letter to Donner’s universe. However, none of these films has given us Lex Luthor as the creators of the character envisioned or how the men and women who write him today have evolved him. Luthor is a complex character, full of tragedy, heartbreak and determination. His past demonstrates a man who may have become Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton if it wasn’t for a few key events. He is obsessed and single-minded; always four steps ahead with plans so unthinkably terrible no one would see them coming. This is the villain the Man of Steel deserves. This is the mere earthling who could push Superman to the brink; to the edge of what he is capable of then throw him off. Audiences are more cynical these days and expect a lot more from their stories. Not to mention comic book fans expect to see their favorite characters come to life, not be watered down for a mass audience.
A true interpretation of Luthor would show audiences the three dimensional character we know him to be and the character that, I submit, brings Superman down to earth. General Zod may have his turn in June 2013, but I can only hope that for the sequel, audiences everywhere will find out why Superman needs Lex Luthor.
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19 Comments
I think you’re right, but I’m glad it won’t be for the first one. I expect to see Lex’s presence teased at the end of Man Of Steel, as the Joker was signalled at the end of Batman Begins.
I’m bored of seeing Luther, he has been in 4/5 superman films, he does have other villains. Superman has a large rogue gallery of villains and I would rather see villains such as Doomsday in the sequel.
Also Luther is powerless, he has no powers where as Superman is practically invincible, yeah that is a good battle isn’t it.
The point I make in this article is that we’ve never seen the real Lex Luthor in a movie before. And your powers vs. no powers argument is exactly what makes Lex work. Lex’s power is his intellect. His brains. His ability to outsmart the Man of Steel.
Actually, your little sarcasm is true. Yes, it’s a pretty interesting battle, because we have the impression that with his super powers, Superman can beat any normal human being. But, somehow, no matter how much he tries, he can’t beat Lex, who is a normal, unpowered human being.
james lesure would fit in for the role of lex luthor perfectly but then i doubt his acting skills in a negative shade :/
You’re probably right Dusty as I don’t know too much about Superman as you.
I guess it’s all down to Man of Steel, if the movie bombs and gets crap reviews they won’t make a sequel, where as if it makes 600million and gets critical acclaim then we can start talking about villain choices for the sequel.
Michael rosenbsum did a good job in Maryville even if no one
Agrees. He wasn’t campy like any of the other film or tv
Versions were. I was hoping when smallville ended that
Gene hackman would reprise his lex character as an older
Clone. Finally getting the kind of seriousness that was
Allowed for Michael. Smallville may have been come on ready
But it did allow for a story to happen between smallville and superman 1. I was
Kinda hoping that Chris Reeves would cameo as superman in the end.
This was before he was in the show of course. And man of steel
I’m sure will be what the incredible halk was to hulk. Can’t
Wait till 2013. Perhaps this new lex could be the ring leader of
These other guys. So his powerless cunning mind
Could be more used.
I have to agree that Rosenbaum was a very good Lex and the Smallville version of the character was the closest to the comics. Which is ironic considering how far that show strayed.
If LEX LUTHOR is the Villain of MOS-2, then we can really judge the power Nolan has in this Superman re-imagining & i can bet Nolan would love to put Lex in MOS-2!
Cuz NOLAN would like to, more or less, follow same patterns of storytelling he used for DARK KNIGHT trilogy & only making them fit with Supes mythos! Like less DARK but Realistic!
So, as in BATMAN BEGINS; Bruce transforms into Batman in an origin story with mentor-&-baddie RAS’ AlGhul!
They’re connected with each other!
& MOS; well it hit same notes! Origin story, transformation from Clarke to SUPERMAN & baddie is ZOD who is connected with Supes as both are Kryptonians!
The Dark Knight gave us JOKER! THE VILLAIN of BATMAN!
“You Complete ME” – says Joker in TDK! & it’s true!
They both complete eachother!
Same goes for LEX & SUPERMAN.
He’s THE VILLAN of SUPERMAN!
& is another MASTER-MIND!
The Dark Knight Rises gave us BANE! (Talia & Catwoman rapped in as well)!
It’s a physical challenge to Batman!
Well, thats what Superman will get in MOS-3!
Not BANE, but certainly DOOMSDAY or BRANIAC!
Or maybe someone less known as was BANE!!
If NOLAN would have a writing credit (with Goyer) in next ones as well… Which i (& Superman) badly wants! …. Then a Great LEX is coming!
& hopefully BRANIAC or DARSIED or DOOMSDAY or someone else!!
But how good ZOD will be will determine all this!
Im really looking forward to MOS! I hope we finally get a Great SUPERMAN film!!
I think it’s about time that they’ve stopped showing Luther.i don’t care if they havent shown his real character im just sick of him and im sure all the other fans would agree with me.it’s time for a different villain.
While I agree with this story in part, I think overall I have to disagree. At the end of the day, WB needs to pull out drastic stops in order for this film to work. And although we haven’t seen the true economically/politically charged “LexCorp Luthor” on screen yet, at the end of the day, Superman needs to battle an enemy on screen that can push his powers to their furthest reaches. Zod, being a literal equal to Superman in every physical way, is a fantastic choice in my opinion. Just the tiny snippets of comic con footage we’ve seen leaked show buildings exploding and battles in the sky, and we have seen NOTHING officially. It gives the film hype and everything Snyder has talked about great weight, in my opinion.
Lets also remember- we have seen many set leak photos of Michael Shannon, however there is also as well as Faora, however ANOTHER completely CGI suited man has been photographed multiple times on location. Could this be a villain we are unaware of? One can only hope!
All in all, even though most of me disagrees, this is a fantastic writeup and I am seriously just thankful that this character is (seemingly) finally being treated with a realistic, ass kicking take from a team that couldn’t have been better assembled in my opinion!
I agree. No matter what your thoughts on Lex Luthor, we can all agree it’s just good to see Superman getting a real, honest shot.
I also agree about Michael Rosenbaum’s Luthor. In fact I blame Rosenbaum :) for being one of the factors in Superman Returns falling so flat. Audiences were to used to seeing Lex played as someone real and formidable and just couldn’t muster the ability to accept Spacey’s derivative antics. (in spite of Smallvilles myriad failings it was also giving us a Lois with spunk and charm – I really think that had there been no Smallville at all people would have been mush more taken with Singer’s rather beautiful and poetic fable.)
Anyway, I’m just chiming in to remind that Superman III, as originally envisioned, was a Luthor film too, rewritten when Hackman wouldn’t sign on. The Ross Webster character as we saw him, might actually be closer to the Lex we are familiar with had the original vision been close to what we eventually saw. Webster’s moll, Ambosia(??) was the Teschmacher character, and his ugly sidter Vera was the Otis character; interestingly before Richard Pryor was forced on them, the living computer idea was intended as a Luthor Braniac team-up. I do wish we had seen that!
So when I tally the Luthor count i sometimes number it 5 out of 5.
I also agree about Michael Rosenbaum’s Luthor. In fact I blame Rosenbaum :) for being one of the factors in Superman Returns falling so flat. Audiences were to used to seeing Lex played as someone real and formidable and just couldn’t muster the ability to accept Spacey’s derivative antics. (in spite of Smallville’s myriad failings it was also giving us a Lois with spunk and charm – I really think that had there been no Smallville at all people would have been mush more taken with Singer’s rather beautiful and poetic fable.)
Anyway, I’m just chiming in to remind that Superman III, as originally envisioned, was a Luthor film too, rewritten when Hackman wouldn’t sign on. The Ross Webster character as we saw him, might actually be closer to the Lex we are familiar with had the original vision been close to what we eventually saw. Webster’s moll, Ambrosia(??) was the Teschmacher character, and his ugly sister Vera was the Otis character; interestingly before Richard Pryor was forced on them, the living computer idea was intended as a Luthor Braniac team-up. I do wish we had seen that!
So when I tally the Luthor count I sometimes number it 5 out of 5.
I see it like this
Man of Steel : Zod, obviously
Man of Steel 2 : Lex
Man of Steel 3 : Doomsday
They can do what they want to, but I’d like this. We have to see a live action Doomsday one day or another !
Doomsday had a live action role in season 8 of Smallville.
This film could be a make or break for Superman,
The Dark Knight Trilogy and the two games (asylum and city) turned Batman from being a popular hero to one of the best, if not THE best in the world, so if this film is a modest success (Begins did okay) then I would love to a see great trilogy accompanied by two great games that are similar to Arkham duo, this one help make him more popular,
because at the moment most “kids”, and “teens” would rather see batman and avengers, we need to turn that around and get Superman battling for a billion dollars,
I pretty much agree with everything you said. Its one reason I can’t stand the old movies. However for this first movie i think it was a good idea to avoid Lex. In order to make a good origin movie you need a villain that has a connection with Kal-El’s homeworld since theyll spend a bit of time showing how krypton was destroyed. Two most likely villains are Zod and Brainiac, Brainiac is prolly a bit more complicated.
The one thing i’ll say is that Lex should never be the only villain in a Superman film. If anything, Lex is the guy in the background trying to manipulate metallo, bizarro and other villains. Kinda like the Joker did with twoface. I do hope they make references to the character through MOS, maybe his corporate building in the background or his name in the paper.
I would say Lex in MOS 2, Doomsday in MOS 3, but Doomsday kills Superman, and that would not be a happy ending.