The Greatest Criminal Mind of Our Time: Nicholas Hoult IS Lex Luthor

[Alien Anal]

Radiation poisoning from the Kryptonite ring resulted in him having to have his hand amputated and replaced with the robot hand. He later fakes his own death in a plane crash and had his brain put into a clone body, which he passes off as his son, Lex Luthor II.

Thats pretty dope, the brain thing I'm not so sure about.

 

[old city outlaw]

BTW I don't need Luthor to be overweight or even bald (Lee Pace is my top pick if he doesn't land Batman). I would just prefer him to be at least 10 years older than Clark.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Thats pretty dope, the brain thing I'm not so sure about.

You can find a detailed description of the whole story here. It’s a mixed bag but Lex’s “I win” speech over Superman’s coffin is one of my favorite Lex moments of all time. (He gloats about how he outlived Superman but ultimately realizes that his life is meaningless without the challenge that Superman represents.)

 

[Babillygunn]

I never really understood what the interest is in having them of similar age. I certainly cant stand them knowing each other from childhood, it makes the universe so small.

I tend to prefer Lex skewing older. But having them similar ages and growing up knowing one another can work in the hands of a great writer: case in point being Birthright by the great Mark Waid.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah I’m 50/50 on whether I like Clark and Lex knowing each other while growing up but Birthright is one of my favorite Superman stories. The only thing I never understood was why Lex didn’t remember Clark at all when they met later. Did Waid ever explain that? Did Lex just repress the memories of Smallville because he had a traumatic experience there? Or did the accident with the Kryptonian tech mess with his mind?

 

[BobJM]

I don’t really like Clark knowing Lex before arriving in Metropolis. It’s not a deal-breaker but I prefer distinction between Smallville and Metropolis which includes its cast of characters.

 

[Nemeres]

Them being old friends or similar would be interesting in that it's a Silver Age throwback and it makes their rivalry more personal, a Peter Parker/Harry Osborn or Obi-Wan/Anakin type of deal.

But I also prefer Lex being older. I think Superman being younger is like salt on the wound for Lex, yet another reason why it hurts that Supes is his superior.

 

[GreenKToo]

Close Friends in their youth?
No, but, maybe friendly acquaintances.

Perhaps Lex traveled with his father to smallville when he was a teenager.
His father was there with a team investigating and searching for evidence of a supposed crashed space ship from years earlier.
They spent a few weeks in SV, so Lex would bound to have ran into Clark more than once. Perhaps they even did things together.
After no evidence was found, they left SV, and Lex never saw Clark again until years later in metropolis.
He may not even remember clark. Or if he does, he doesn't acknowledge it.

 

[7heBoss]

Close Friends in their youth?
No, but, maybe friendly acquaintances.

Perhaps Lex traveled with his father to smallville when he was a teenager.
His father was there with a team investigating and searching for evidence of a supposed crashed space ship from years earlier.
They spent a few weeks in SV, so Lex would bound to have ran into Clark more than once. Perhaps they even did things together.
After no evidence was found, they left SV, and Lex never saw Clark again until years later in metropolis.
He may not even remember clark. Or if he does, he doesn't acknowledge it.

In your proposed scenario I am making the assumption that Lex's father is rich and leads an excavation team rather than just driving to Smallville in a van. I prefer when Lex does not come from money. I think he should be 100% self made.

 

[GreenKToo]

Yes. His father would have been wealthy, but not so wealthy that he was one of the wealthiest men on the planet.
Perhaps he was worth a 100 or a 150 million.
He owns a medium sized company that deals in tech. Hes worth Enough that he can travel and hire teams to investigate supposed crashed space ship sites. It's his hobby.

Lex inherits the company and the money, he also inherits his father's obsession with alien life, but it's Lex who turns the company into one worth hundreds of billions and he also turns it into one of the largest tech companies on the planet.

 

[Lily Adler]

He and David would go great together.

 

[Alien Anal]

In your proposed scenario I am making the assumption that Lex's father is rich and leads an excavation team rather than just driving to Smallville in a van. I prefer when Lex does not come from money. I think he should be 100% self made.

I guess its a comic book movie so the fantasy idea of a billionaire being 100% self made might work.

 

[Lily Adler]

He and David would go great together.

I can see it.

 

[DorkyFresh]

Yeah I’m 50/50 on whether I like Clark and Lex knowing each other while growing up but Birthright is one of my favorite Superman stories. The only thing I never understood was why Lex didn’t remember Clark at all when they met later. Did Waid ever explain that? Did Lex just repress the memories of Smallville because he had a traumatic experience there? Or did the accident with the Kryptonian tech mess with his mind?

Birthright is my fave Supes origin story, but one of the things I've never liked is when Lex and Clark have a significant relationship in Smallville. It's just too big of a stretch for me to believe that a mastermind like Lex wouldn't instantly identify Superman as Clark. If Lex visits Smallville and meets Clark once or twice in passing then that's totally fine but if they had a meaningful relationship there's no way Lex wouldn't recognize Clark as Supes.

I love just about everything else from Birthright though. I was so disappointed that the only things that MOS borrowed from Birthright were some aesthetics and him flying through (instead of beside) the herd of zebras. Spoiler warning for Birthright!

Spoiler

Superman being able to speak to his parents as Krypton crumbles was the first time I ever cried while reading a comic. I'd die if they ever incorporated it into a movie.

 

[Alien Anal]

Birthright is my fave Supes origin story, but one of the things I've never liked is when Lex and Clark have a significant relationship in Smallville. It's just too big of a stretch for me to believe that a mastermind like Lex wouldn't instantly identify Superman as Clark. If Lex visits Smallville and meets Clark once or twice in passing then that's totally fine but if they had a meaningful relationship there's no way Lex wouldn't recognize Clark as Supes.

I love just about everything else from Birthright though. I was so disappointed that the only things that MOS borrowed from Birthright were some aesthetics and him flying through (instead of beside) the herd of zebras. Spoiler warning for Birthright!

Spoiler

Superman being able to speak to his parents as Krypton crumbles was the first time I ever cried while reading a comic. I'd die if they ever incorporated it into a movie.

Ugh that flying scene with the animals could have been so much better, Would have loved for him to slow down and run his hand across one of them.

I also want a nice balance of Supes speed be it in flight or whatever but I don't want him always flying off making sonic booms. Its nice seeing him cruise off slowly or fly around taking in the sights. I feel like Snyder just couldnt hold back the "cool factor" of how fast Supes can be

 

[Eddie Dean]

That moment in Birthright is so good

 

[DorkyFresh]

Ugh that flying scene with the animals could have been so much better, Would have loved for him to slow down and run his hand across one of them.

I also want a nice balance of Supes speed be it in flight or whatever but I don't want him always flying off making sonic booms. Its nice seeing him cruise off slowly or fly around taking in the sights. I feel like Snyder just couldnt hold back the "cool factor" of how fast Supes can be

The hope I have for Legacy is that Gunn has done some really cool stuff with the camera, especially when it comes to air and space fights, so I'm lookin' forward to how he'll handle Supes flying. We got a taste in GotG3 with Adam but not nearly enough.

Anywho...I agree with the opinion that Hoult as Lex is acceptable but not ideal. I know he can handle the eccentric, narcissistic, egomaniacal side but someone mentioned that he doesn't strike them as intimidating and that's how I feel too. He can do the job, but can he make me feel afraid of him? I like the idea of Lex being just a little older by maybe 5 to 15 years, 20 is pushing it. There are a lot of actors who fit the bill that could sufficiently play Lex but I would love someone like a Dan Stevens, Bradley Cooper, or Jake Gyllenhaal type...all of who could also make an amazing Batman or Joker!

 

[GreenKToo]

I think Hoult would be and do ok as Lex, tho it would be underwhelming casting for me.
And I'm not looking for just doing "ok".

Gunn may not agree but I think he should go after an A lister or at least well know actors for Lex.
Cooper ( tho he supposedly said no )
McConaughey
Pitt
Isaacs
Elba
Fassbender
Damon.

 

[TMP98]

I think Hoult would be and do ok as Lex, tho it would be underwhelming casting for me.
And I'm not looking for just doing "ok".

Gunn may not agree but I think he should go after an A lister or at least well know actors for Lex.
Cooper ( tho he supposedly said no )
McConaughey
Pitt
Isaacs
Elba
Fassbender
Damon.

A Damon Lex would be really interesting, it could play up so many angles of the character. He's great at playing an everyman which he's been doing a lot lately, but mix a little of his movie-star charm and tone down the eccentricities from his performance in Mr Ripley and it could really work.

 

[GreenKToo]

I so want to see the Lex Luther that's more like M.R.'s Lex, and less like Hackman, spacey, and JE's.

I picture my Lex being well built, very confident, serious, bald, ultra intelligent like Tony stark, one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest, men on the planet, and he puts on a fake persona for the public to make them like him ( but he secretly hates people )

My lex, out of shear boredom, could invent a new energy source or a cure for cancer without half trying, then lock it away for a rainy day.

He would also have people disappeared over the most trivia of things.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Birthright is my fave Supes origin story, but one of the things I've never liked is when Lex and Clark have a significant relationship in Smallville. It's just too big of a stretch for me to believe that a mastermind like Lex wouldn't instantly identify Superman as Clark. If Lex visits Smallville and meets Clark once or twice in passing then that's totally fine but if they had a meaningful relationship there's no way Lex wouldn't recognize Clark as Supes.

I love just about everything else from Birthright though. I was so disappointed that the only things that MOS borrowed from Birthright were some aesthetics and him flying through (instead of beside) the herd of zebras. Spoiler warning for Birthright!

Spoiler

Superman being able to speak to his parents as Krypton crumbles was the first time I ever cried while reading a comic. I'd die if they ever incorporated it into a movie.

Agreed; that was an amazing moment. Given that James Gunn has talked a lot about how his father passing away was part of what inspired him to write this movie, maybe we’ll get a scene similar to that.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Gunn’s Luthor is bald, confirmed.

 

[Scarlet Spider]

Gunn said Rosie was the best Lex. Granted he's biased but he's also not wrong.

 

[Monochron]

Gunn’s Luthor is bald, confirmed.

Hopefully clean shaven as well.

 

[Sawyer]

I don’t entirely agree with his take on Hackman’s Lex, but I do think that spin on the character is a bit antiquated by today’s standards. Billionaire CEO Luthor has eclipsed it completely.