2. Lex Luthor... Teaming Up
It's almost a given that Lex Luthor will be featured at some point in this rebooted franchise, much like how the Joker played a big part in Nolan's Batman trilogy. Using the archnemesis in the second film and really giving him time to shine (now that the hero has been firmly established) is probably the best way to handle him. As I said in my last point, there are numerous ways the new Lex Luthor can challenge Superman and push him to the edge of his limits. One of the strongest aspects of Man of Steel's action sequences was the fact that Zod presented an equal match for Kal-El. It was a smart way to address the criticisms that Superman movies are boring because he can't be hurt. We knew our hero would live to see more films, but it still added an extra element that made the fights more interesting. Just the possibility of knowing that Zod could snap Kal-El's neck was enough. My point is, it would be wise for Snyder and Goyer to continue this in the sequel. Luthor is a great villain, yes, but he's just a man. Unless he's wearing an exoskeleton suit of armor (becoming a different type of man of steel...) he does not present a physical threat to Superman. Luthor will have to team up with another member of Superman's rogues gallery in order to even the playing field. Fans have long expressed interest in having Brainiac or Metallo be featured in an upcoming movie and the filmmakers certainly have a golden opportunity to give these characters their cinematic debut. Brainiac is best known for stealing and shrinking Krypton's capital city Kandor, which could lead to interesting things, but the Krypton stuff was a huge part of Man of Steel so Snyder might want to try something new. I like Metallo here, especially if they go with the New 52 version of the character. Lex Luthor could fund a military project like the "Project Steel Soldier" in the New 52. With his Kryptonite heart and fighting abilities, Metallo could definitely compete with Superman in a fight. I'm curious to see what they do. Just having Lex won't cut it. The most important thing is to not overcrowd the film and use no more than two villains. Keep everything tight and streamlined.