The Official Lex Luthor Casting Thread - Part 4

[Rockstar]

I just feel like for the past two decades, especially in this genre, it's been done and explored to death.

Lex as a billionaire playboy philanthropist just feels so uninteresting and predictable...and cliche.

I'm hoping they take a divergent route with the character, with only some inspiration from comic storylines.

I loved how Ledger's Joker was very much it's own thing, very different from the iconic Mark Hamill TAS version everyone loves.

I'm expecting the Lex Luthor to be drastically different from the TAS Clancy Brown version certain fanboys want.

The brilliant scientist route feels like uncharted territory in a modern context.

The political route is fascinating, but the corrupt politicians thing is cliche too.

 

[Project862006]

lex has not been done right is our main point he has been seen as a goof a cheesy goof who is not threatening

in the comics he is far more threatening sand menacing

i want a menacing and intense luthor more than anything

and i want him not to look like someone grandpa

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Whoa, man. Were you here for the economic collapse in 2008 and the bank bailouts, when sleazy businessmen and their puppets in Congress funneled trillions in dollars of taxpayer money directly to the banksters?

Corporate CEOs like Lex are even more of a threat now than they were in the 80s. Let me just ask you - how many Americans will die due to terrorism next year, vs. how many Americans will die from poverty, or mental illness exacerbated by economic distress or post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in wars overseas waged on behalf of corporate interests?

Not to bring politics into it too much, but making Lex a corporate criminal was pure brilliance on the part of John Byrne, because given my own politics, that's the kind of villain that I most love to hate. It's a lot more satisfying to see Superman punish some corporate tycoon than a mad scientist.

Couldn't agree more.

If there was ever a time to have a superhero who fights against corruption and greed, and champions the opressed - it's now.

And who better for an arch nemesis, than the man who is responsible for the majority of corruptiona and greed in the city of Metropolis?

Luthor as a corrupt businessman works for so many reasons. For example:

1. It explains why he is so difficult to put away (all his power, contacts etc)
2. It gives other characters reason to have scenes with him (I.e. Army officials, interview with Lois Lane etc)
3. It makes him the absolute embodiment of what Superman is fighting against. Like the first Domino, if Superman can bring down Luthor, others will fall.
4. It makes perfect sense for a man who has that much of a megalomaniacal personality to become angry and obsessed with someone who swans in and takes a position of power in his city - especially one that he cannot buy like everything else.

I just feel like for the past two decades, especially in this genre, it's been done and explored to death.

Lex as a billionaire playboy philanthropist just feels so uninteresting and predictable...and cliche.

I'm hoping they take a divergent route with the character, with only some inspiration from comic storylines.

I loved how Ledger's Joker was very much it's own thing, very different from the iconic Mark Hamill TAS version everyone loves.

I'm expecting the Lex Luthor to be drastically different from the TAS Clancy Brown version certain fanboys want.

The brilliant scientist route feels like uncharted territory in a modern context.

The political route is fascinating, but the corrupt politicians thing is cliche too.

Playboy?

Don't remember Lex ever being portrayed as a playboy...

In terms of the films, the only Lex Luthor characterisation we've seen is the 'greatest criminal mind of our time', who lives underground.

Though really, what he did to earn that title I don't know, because his plans where just plain stupid.

Yes, Lex as the brilliant scientist would be different and much much better than that.

But I think it limits his functionality in the story if he doesn't have any money or influence.

I think the best thing in the world would be to have Lex have made his accent to power on the back of his work as a scientist, and have his first company be built on that basis. Kind of like Oscorp I guess, but that's just a starting block for Lex. After that he branches out so he has his 'finger in every pie' so to speak.

lex has not been done right is our main point he has been seen as a goof a cheesy goof who is not threatening

in the comics he is far more threatening sand menacing

i want a menacing and intense luthor more than anything

and i want him not to look like someone grandpa

Agreed, which is why I think the 'he thinks he's doing the right thing' angle should be handled delicately if they decide to go with that.

I don't want to have any sympathy for Lex.

I want Superman beating Lex to feel completely satisfying and wish fullfilling.

 

[Rockstar]

Lex would get the money for beginning his research and inventions by murdering his parents (from the comics) and other criminal enterprises, he is a crime lord afterall.

He doesn't need to be Donald Trump to pioneer new inventions and weapons of mass destruction, just have a superhuman intellect.

I like the idea of him being smarter than Superman; his intelligence as the one threat to Superman (not money or political influnece). The classic brains VS brawn archetype at it's core.

We haven't seen that in live action yet.

It just makes his hatred for Superman more understandable if he doesn't have billions of dollars and political power to fall back on.

Playboy?

Don't remember Lex ever being portrayed as a playboy...

John Shea's version.

It happened for a bit in the 90s comics too.

 

[Lead Cenobite]

I just feel like for the past two decades, especially in this genre, it's been done and explored to death.

Lex as a billionaire playboy philanthropist just feels so uninteresting and predictable...and cliche.

I'm hoping they take a divergent route with the character, with only some inspiration from comic storylines.

I loved how Ledger's Joker was very much it's own thing, very different from the iconic Mark Hamill TAS version everyone loves.

I'm expecting the Lex Luthor to be drastically different from the TAS Clancy Brown version certain fanboys want.

The brilliant scientist route feels like uncharted territory in a modern context.

The political route is fascinating, but the corrupt politicians thing is cliche too.

I feel the same. Some say mad scientist/inventor Lex is outdated and that a Lex that markets his inventions is the only one that makes sense, but I don't think it's very difficult to come up with a more realistic motivation for the classic version.

 

[Axl Van Sixx]

Couldn't agree more.

If there was ever a time to have a superhero who fights against corruption and greed, and champions the opressed - it's now.

And who better for an arch nemesis, than the man who is responsible for the majority of corruptiona and greed in the city of Metropolis?

Luthor as a corrupt businessman works for so many reasons. For example:

1. It explains why he is so difficult to put away (all his power, contacts etc)
2. It gives other characters reason to have scenes with him (I.e. Army officials, interview with Lois Lane etc)
3. It makes him the absolute embodiment of what Superman is fighting against. Like the first Domino, if Superman can bring down Luthor, others will fall.
4. It makes perfect sense for a man who has that much of a megalomaniacal personality to become angry and obsessed with someone who swans in and takes a position of power in his city - especially one that he cannot buy like everything else.

Great summary. You hit all the reasons why I prefer corporate Lex to other versions of the character. He's like Donald Trump, except instead of merely being an egotistical joke and reality TV punchline, he's a cunning, brilliant and powerful threat to the Man of Steel.

I just feel like for the past two decades, especially in this genre, it's been done and explored to death.

Lex as a billionaire playboy philanthropist just feels so uninteresting and predictable...and cliche.

I'm hoping they take a divergent route with the character, with only some inspiration from comic storylines.

I loved how Ledger's Joker was very much it's own thing, very different from the iconic Mark Hamill TAS version everyone loves.

I'm expecting the Lex Luthor to be drastically different from the TAS Clancy Brown version certain fanboys want.

The brilliant scientist route feels like uncharted territory in a modern context.

The political route is fascinating, but the corrupt politicians thing is cliche too.

Hmm...I can definitely understand the appeal of a new and different take on a familiar character. But I would argue that there's a difference between The Joker and Lex, in that we have yet to see corporate Lex properly portrayed as a villain on the silver screen. Say what you will, but Jack Nicholson's performance as The Joker in Batman '89 was a perfect representation of the character that we knew from the comics and who would later be shown in the animated series. This made it necessary for Ledger to do something different and fresh in 2008.

With Lex, on the other hand, all we've seen in the movies so far is the Gene Hackman "brilliant criminal mastermind", or the Kevin Spacey variation on it, which honestly is not that far removed from a villain in the 60s Batman series given the level of cheesiness. Corporate Lex has yet to be done properly in a Superman movie. Although Michael Rosenbaum was great in Smallville - probably the best live action Lex ever - he was still portraying the character as a young man, not the arch-villain of Superman we all know. And John Shea on Lois & Clark, while he was a businessman, was far from an ideal Lex Luthor, the hair being only the most obvious problem.

I say we should see a great cinematic version of Corporate Lex, played by a big name or an excellent character actor, before we start reinventing the character once more. I'm open to any original interpretations, but I believe Corporate Lex needs his time to shine in the movies. We have yet to see a truly definitive portrayal, in the way we once thought of Jack Nicholson's Joker, so I don't see the need for a Ledger-like reinvention at this stage.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

John Shea's version.

It happened for a bit in the 90s comics too.

I dunno if I'd consider him a playboy. He had sexual relationships, but it's not like he'd show up to parties with hot twins on his arm or frivalously go swimming in a hotel foutain ala Bruce Wayne.

He was much too concerned with appearing 'in control at all times', and not being a slave to his baser instincts.

The few times you saw him having had a sexual relationship with a women, it was usually in order to successfully screw her over and/or kill her without her getting suspicious that he might have those intentions. It was all about keeping them under his control.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Lex would get the money for beginning his research and inventions by murdering his parents (from the comics) and other criminal enterprises, he is a crime lord afterall.

He doesn't need to be Donald Trump to pioneer new inventions and weapons of mass destruction, just have a superhuman intellect.

I like the idea of him being smarter than Superman; his intelligence as the one threat to Superman (not money or political influnece). The classic brains VS brawn archetype at it's core.

We haven't seen that in live action yet.

It just makes his hatred for Superman more understandable if he doesn't have billions of dollars and political power to fall back on.

See I don't like that because I think Lex and Superman should be of equal intelligence, otherwise you have the danger of Superman just looking dumb, or just 'the muscle'.

Like you said, brain over brawn.

Lex the businessman can be an incredibly smart guy. He can be cunning.

But he also has this extra element of being charming, manipulative. Pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. There's a smugness in that, absolute arrogance.

He hates Superman because he's the only person who threatens all that, because he can't fool him.

Because he thinks Superman has taken his glory. He's bitter and jelous because he has been so quickly regarded as a hero in Metropolis when Lex had to work his whole life to create that image for himself.

Because he's moral in a way that makes Lex angry - he won't use his power to win wars, or lend himself to science in order to see if his dna/blood can help cure diseases, because he won't 'interfere'. So in his eyes, Superman is selfish and thinks he's better than everyone else.

There is just so much there to work with.

If you take the 'power' element away, if you have him just being this underworld criminal mastermind, eccentric scientist or whatever route you want to take where he doesn't have any pull, or limitless resources - then his hatred of Superman is no different to all the other criminals who just hate him because he catches them/stops their plan.

I mean, you can say he hates him because he's an alien or something - but it just doesn't have as much depth to me.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Great summary. You hit all the reasons why I prefer corporate Lex to other versions of the character. He's like Donald Trump, except instead of merely being an egotistical joke and reality TV punchline, he's a cunning, brilliant and powerful threat to the Man of Steel.

I say we should see a great cinematic version of Corporate Lex, played by a big name or an excellent character actor, before we start reinventing the character once more. I'm open to any original interpretations, but I believe Corporate Lex needs his time to shine in the movies. We have yet to see a truly definitive portrayal, in the way we once thought of Jack Nicholson's Joker, so I don't see the need for a Ledger-like reinvention at this stage.

Agreed.

I think that we will be able to tell what they are doing when we see MOS.

If there is no sign or hint of Lexcorp, then we pretty much know they aren't going with a Lex who has that much power in the city - if they go with Lex in a sequel at all.

 

[the amazing fro]

I think the best interpretation would be similar to Birthright. Something that incorporates the corporate aspect (which has a nice social cultural implications at this time in history) and has traces of the mad scientist that I think Lex needs to stop him being just another Donald Trump.

Lex is a really fascinating character. His hate of Superman in all incarnations derives from simple jealousy. He has a crippling inferiority complex and needs to be the best at everything. In Superman, he sees someone whom he knows to be his superior but he cannot accept that. He covers his bitterness with excuses like, "Superman is an Alien and can't be trusted", "Superman is trying to halt human progress", "Superman is a fascist trying to control everything" or that "I would be a good guy if it wasn't for Superman". I think it's clear Lex doesn't believe any of this (if he doesn he’s more deluded than I thought). He just uses it as a shield to mask his desire to destroy Superman because he of his constant desire to be the "best."

Also I don't think Superman should be of equal intelligence to Lex. Lex's intelligence is his one asset. If you make them equals in that regard then he isn't really that much of a threat. Lex being a super-genius levels the playing field a bit. Now that's no excuse to make Superman an airhead, superman should be of above average intelligence.
But while Lex is more intelligent, Superman is wiser. Lex, for all his brains, lacks wisdom and has a very immature worldview which is ultimately the reason he will always fail.

 

[N7 Joseph Shepard]

I think the best interpretation would be similar to Birthright. Something that incorporates the corporate aspect (which has a nice social cultural implications at this time in history) and has traces of the mad scientist that I think Lex needs to stop him being just another Donald Trump.

Lex is a really fascinating character. His hate of Superman in all incarnations derives from simple jealousy. He has a crippling inferiority complex and needs to be the best at everything. In Superman, he sees someone whom he knows to be his superior but he cannot accept that. He covers his bitterness with excuses like, "Superman is an Alien and can't be trusted", "Superman is trying to halt human progress", "Superman is a fascist trying to control everything" or that "I would be a good guy if it wasn't for Superman". I think it's clear Lex doesn't believe any of this (if he doesn he’s more deluded than I thought). He just uses it as a shield to mask his desire to destroy Superman because he of his constant desire to be the "best."

Also I don't think Superman should be of equal intelligence to Lex. Lex's intelligence is his one asset. If you make them equals in that regard then he isn't really that much of a threat. Lex being a super-genius levels the playing field a bit. Now that's no excuse to make Superman an airhead, superman should be of above average intelligence.
But while Lex is more intelligent, Superman is wiser. Lex, for all his brains, lacks wisdom and has a very immature worldview which is ultimately the reason he will always fail.

I like but personally if all the description part is the same and you still have Lex as the Chairman & CEO of LexCorp then I'll be happy, with him like that I can easily see him having a bunch of secret labs all over which would also have that "evil mad scientist" part you mentioned.....think Bruce Wayne/Batman only no other alias and evil

 

[Rodrigo90]

The way I see things, is if Lex isn't in Metropolis in MOS. Obviously, Superman's presence, and likely the events in the movie, will draw him there for the sequel.

 

[manofsteel4life]

The way I see things, is if Lex isn't in Metropolis in MOS. Obviously, Superman's presence, and likely the events in the movie, will draw him there for the sequel.

So you think Lex won't be in metropolis at all if he's not in MOS?

 

[Lead Cenobite]

I think there will be some signs of Lex's presence but he won't actually appear. Like we might see a big LEXCORP sign on a building at one point or another.

 

[manofsteel4life]

I think there will be some signs of Lex's presence but he won't actually appear. Like we might see a big LEXCORP sign on a building at one point or another.

That's what I'm thinking and hoping....I'm sure David Goyer knows the potential of lex if done right on the big screen, he just has to be there in this day and age....especially with this madoff garbage we've gotten in recent years

 

[Rust]

They wanna set him up properly this time. It should be easy to include Lex without actually including him, or showing him at least.

 

[Rodrigo90]

So you think Lex won't be in metropolis at all if he's not in MOS?

I'm just speculating. Because there has been no word on Lex being in the movie. Not even Lexcorp. I think Lexcorp will be added in the background during PP. But I think it would make more sense, story-wise, if Lex wasn't based in Metropolis' Lexcorp in MOS.

 

[manofsteel4life]

Yea that's a possibility as well...I could see lex walking in and having the same meeting the joker had with the mob in the tdk.

 

[Lead Cenobite]

What I'd like is for Lex and Lexcorp to just be in the background, referenced occasionally. Like, at the Daily Planet, instead of Lois and Perry discussing "lady wrestlers with foreign accents", they're discussing Lex, but Superman doesn't truly begin to set his sights on him yet because he hasn't witnessed firsthand just how much of a bastard that he is, and neither has the staff of the Daily Planet. They know he's corrupt, but what CEO isn't? That's just life, but eventually we find out he's not just your average corporate fatcat.

 

[Rodrigo90]

IMO. Lex should be a victim of his own mind...bear with me

In terms of characterisation, I would like him to be an eccentric of sorts, a two face...bear with me.

Say, he's being interviewed, he puts on a facade for the world to see. He's friendly, he's charming and funny to boot. But unlike most things were that type of thing occurs, Lex isn't hiding evil intentions, he's hiding madness.
He needs to have some piece of mind that would realistically allow him to think up and create the things he does. No sane person would. No sane person would do the things that Lex does to beat Superman. Lex is sort of a Howard Hughes type, they do great things, but its a mixture of both genius and madness.

It would be a nice creepy touch to his character. Like the scene in Birthright where he's calm one second, then laughing like a maniac the next.

 

[DIRECTOR]

I have a feeling that Ryan Gosling will be Lex Luthor.........

 

[elgaz]

I'm swinging back towards Jason Isaacs as a more modern and sinister corporate-mogul-type Lex Luthor.

 

[manofsteel4life]

I have a feeling that Ryan Gosling will be Lex Luthor.........

Why do you get that feeling?

 

[manofsteel4life]

I'm swinging back towards Jason Isaacs as a more modern and sinister corporate-mogul-type Lex Luthor.

I'm sure he would be awesome, but it's kind of expected and it's like all he's done is villain roles.....has he ever been a good guy in any movie? Lol

 

[NewYorkSpider]

I like the idea of just giving Lex a mention in MOS. Introducing too many characters in a movie ends up taking away screen time for others.