Favorite Live-Action Lex Luthor

[akfj]

Since we have one of these polls for The Joker due to there being a new Joker actor this year, I figured we could have one for Lex Luthor given there was also a new actor for Luthor this year.

I would go with Michael Rosenbaum's Luthor from Smallville.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

Yeah, Michael Rosenbaum for sure. Still the definitive live action take on the character. It also helped that actor that played him just oozed charm and charisma.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I can't believe it, but Smallville's version is the only one I like.

 

[Doctor Octopus]

Smallville version is best. Eisenberg version worst.

 

[John Locke]

Smallville is the best. I stand by belief that if Eisenberg toned it down there wouldn't be much of a problem though. Same with Spacey but he was playing Hackman's version.

 

[AnneFan]

I'm going against the grain.

John Shea from Lois and Clark.

He was all the more deadly because he was credible as a charismatic, powerful businessman who had Metropolis under his thrall.

I also enjoy Hackman, and look forward to seeing EisenLex develop.

 

[The Joker]

Rosenbaum, Hackman, and Shea are the best of the bunch. Spacey had some good moments.

 

[Timebomb]

I like Rosenbaum the best. However I don't think he ever got the chance to go full Luthor. The show definitely when he left.

 

[Bats123]

Rosenbaum, easy, he was just perfect, he was straight up sinister at times. I'd guess i'd go with Spacey for second, maybe thats just cus i love kevin <__<
Eisenberg is probably dead last for me, just awful.

 

[Osiris-Rex]

Rosenbaum was the most menacing, while Shea had his moments. Hackman was too cartooney to seem that serious a threat. Spacey was just playing a more serious version of Hackman, but ended up being kind of boring. Haven't seen the others, but from what I heard Eisenberg seemed to think he was playing the Joker instead of Lex Luthor.

 

[Batmannerism]

to be honest, I 've felt that Lex Luthor - much like Dr Doom- should be a really easy character to adapt to live-action, and also like Dr Doom, those adaptations have been pretty poor.

I enjoyed Hackman's Luthor, because he fit within the tone of the Reeve/Donner Superman films, but really he wasn't Lex Luthor in much more than name (and baldness).

I didn't actually care for Smallville much, but I did think they did justice to
Lex Luthor - so Rosenbaum gets my vote.

Oh, and Eisenberg, goes at the very bottom of my list - for what could have been an interesting "Alexander Luthor" interpretation, done really, really, really badly - in a confused mad scientist/Joker hybrid.

It didn't work at all, on any level. Which is sad because I beleive that Eisenberg has the acting chops - if they had taken his character from Now You See Me, and made him a bit more of an ******* that would have been
fine.

Sigh.

 

[BH/HHH]

Definitely Michael Rosenbaum but honestly he had 7 seasons (plus the finale) to truly develop the character into the version from the comics.

They've all been good apart from Scott Well's who was an awful actor.

People who complain about Hackman's version are the ones who only ever want to see billionaire Lex Luthor but don't realise or forget when Superman the Movie was made that version of Lex didn't even exist.

I believe the most underrated one was Sherman Howard, people don't tend to talk about him much but he was fantastic in the role.

Eisenberg to me was not what I wanted but what they gave us wasa reinvention of the character and I loved him.

John Shea was very good on Lois & Coark for that version of the character and I loved Spacey in SRs. Think he gave an underrated performamce aswell.

Talbot I have only seen in clips and such, guess he was OK.

 

[dc_mos]

Rosenbaum, Eisenberg.

 

[OutOfBoose]

Eisenberg entertained me, so I'll go with him.

 

[chamber-music]

Michael Rosenbaum was the best. I wasn't a big fan of Smallville but I did think Rosenbaum did a good job as Luthor.

John Shea is my second favorite live action movie. He played the cultured egomaniac businessman Lex pretty well.

Hackman and Spacey are tied for third. Both great actors but I'm just not a fan of campy Lex Luthor.

Fourth spot to the Superboy Luthors. Been years since I watched Superboy so don't remember much of it.

Eisenberg is my least favorite. Not a fan of his interpretation.

Never seen Atom Man vs. Superman so can't comment on Talbot in the role.

 

[The_Manhunter]

Tough one between Jesse and Michael, but I went with Jesse.

 

[DOBSON10]

Michael Rosenbaum is the best I've seen, while not perfect he definitely did the character the most justice of anyone so far.

I actually liked Kevin Spacey's Lex, for the most part, his plan for a Kryptonite Real Estate takeover were pretty stupid but I thought his performance was pretty good. They may have been going for a rehash of Gene Hackman but it didn't really remind me of Hackman and despite the silly plan, he was far less cheesy than Hackman's Lex. I never liked Hackman's Lex, too corny.

And the less said about Jesse Eisenburg's Lex the better. Simply awful. Complete and total miscast from Day 1.

Haven't seen the rest really, only caught a couple episodes of Lois and Clark, no real opinion of Shea.

 

[DX]

How in the absolute **** is Eisenberg beating Hackman?!

 

[BH/HHH]

How in the absolute **** is Eisenberg beating Hackman?!

Because as per usual, people have their own opinions

 

[Web-Head]

Rosenbaum, easily.

 

[The Joker]

How in the absolute **** is Eisenberg beating Hackman?!

Its like George Clooney's Batman getting votes on a best Batman poll.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Hackman was entertaining if nothing else, especially in his interactions with Reeve and Stamp. His scene in the first film where Superman confronts him in his lair and he tricks him into getting exposed to Kryptonite is my favorite live-action Lex Luthor scene. He was great in that scene.

Superman: Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its kicks? By planning the deaths of innocent people?
Lex Luthor: No, by causing the deaths of innocent people.

 

[Timebomb]

Hackman was entertaining if nothing else, especially in his interactions with Reeve and Stamp. His scene in the first film where Superman confronts him in his lair and he tricks him into getting exposed to Kryptonite is my favorite live-action Lex Luthor scene. He was great in that scene.

Superman: Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its kicks? By planning the deaths of innocent people?
Lex Luthor: No, by causing the deaths of innocent people.

Great line. Better than the red capes are coming.

 

[Nemeres]

I'd like to say Rosenbaum. But Jesse's Lex was a mad, megalomaniac genius with an inherent hate of what Supes stands for... not just a damaged rich kid with father issues. Even if he was that, too. Better character, Rosenbaum's. But better Lex, for my personal standards, Jesse's.

 

[Wildcard]

Michael Rosenbaum, no question. He hit all the right notes with the character. Everyone else has been off in some regard...usually by being too comical & one-note. Rosenbaum showed all the layers there was to Lex Luthor to perfect effect.