10 Movie Villains So Dumb They Deserved To Fail

Lex Luthor is considered to be one of the smartest people, not just in comics, but in all of storytelling. That's why it's ironic how every live action iteration of Superman's nemesis acts like a dummy.

In the original Superman, the Gene Hackman-performed Luthor masterfully manipulates the Man of Steel to open a lead box containing Kryptonite, leaving him severely weakened. Instead of killing his arch-rival then and there, Lex walks away, allowing his minion to rescue him.

In Superman Returns, the bald supervillain creates a new continent, which he believes will generate a fortune, despite the fact this land mass will erode away the Americas and kill billions. Luthor also assumes none of the world's governments will stand up to him for obliterating dozens of countries.

Somehow, Batman V Superman's version of Luthor is the dumbest one yet. Luthor is terrified that Superman will turn against humanity, compelling him to create Doomsday, an uncontrollable beast that tries to murder him five seconds after being activated.

Also, Luthor would have been screwed if Doomsday killed Superman, since the world would have to contend with a creature far more powerful and dangerous. Even if Doomsday was defeated, Luthor would be arrested, since there's more than enough evidence to prove he created the monster. (It was literally made from his DNA.) So, why did Luthor release Doomsday in the first place if it couldn't benefit him in any way?