The Official Lex Luthor Casting Thread

[Rust]

Well, those two are handsome enough imo, but a bit on the older side.

We need a strapping young(er) lad here.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Yeah don't get me wrong, I don't want a kiddywink... just someone in their 30s, with a sort of sexy dangerous charisma.

 

[Rust]

Exactly.

"sexy dangerous"... hehe..

 

[djkris]

Listen to your friend Billy Zane, he's a cool dude!

IMO, Billy Zane can be a suave, charismatic Lex, yet bring out a darker side if needed. If Nolan could hire someone like Tom Berenger for "Inception", then why not Zane?

http://www.**************.com/images/users/uploads/16950/JLA%20Luthor.JPG

 

[Timstuff]

I can't understand for the life of me how Billy Zane got so popular as a Lex Luthor candidate. He's had one noteworthy role in his entire career, and it was over a decade ago, and it was certainly not good enough to warrant the amount of support he has. Looking the part and playing the bad guy in Titanic isn't enough to make him qualified to play Luthor, especially since he's so old.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

My choices for Lex are:

Timothy Olyphant
Damian Lewis
Patrick Wilson

 

[Keyser Soze]

I can't understand for the life of me how Billy Zane got so popular as a Lex Luthor candidate. He's had one noteworthy role in his entire career, and it was over a decade ago, and it was certainly not good enough to warrant the amount of support he has. Looking the part and playing the bad guy in Titanic isn't enough to make him qualified to play Luthor, especially since he's so old.

I think a big part of it is because he's bald, and a lot of people lack the imagination to think of an actor with hair shaving his head to play a bald character. Doing the actor/character side by side pics is easier when they have the same hairstyle.

Either that, or they're one of the 5 other people to see Tales of the Crypt: Demon Knight. Billy Zane ROCKED in that role.

 

[JAK®]

I can't understand for the life of me how Billy Zane got so popular as a Lex Luthor candidate. He's had one noteworthy role in his entire career, and it was over a decade ago, and it was certainly not good enough to warrant the amount of support he has. Looking the part and playing the bad guy in Titanic isn't enough to make him qualified to play Luthor, especially since he's so old.

It's because he fits the animated Luthor to a tee in terms of look and voice. I do agree that his acting skills work against that though.

 

[Jake Cassidy]

Either that, or they're one of the 5 other people to see Tales of the Crypt: Demon Knight. Billy Zane ROCKED in that role.

t:

 

[Mr. Earle]

Lets face it, Zane looks the part like no other. I dont care about his previews movies, only if he can act or not.

 

[djkris]

Well, I am always assuming that, in the new movie, Luthor will (and MUST) be part of the story, since he is part of the overall Superman mythos. But the focus will be on some super-powered villain, I guess, so Luthor will have to be in the movie as a "Man behind the curtain" type of villain. His presence needs to be felt throughout the movie, like having him in posters, if he candidates for Presidency or have LexCorp ads and products around.

So, Lex would be for a certain amount of time on screen, even so, he is always a scene stealer. Cue Billy Zane: He looks the part and in the hands of Snyder and Nolan, I think he can be a better actor than most people give him credit for.

I acknowledge that there are better actors than Zane out there, not necessarily bald ones. Damian Lewis is an excellent choice, by all means. He is a great actor, criminally underestimated and looks like the kind of guy that Nolan likes to have in his movies. Maybe the powers that be surprise us with an actor that none expects - can you imagine for example, Ken Watanabe as Luthor? Stranger things have happened in the past: Who can forget Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin?

 

[Puckenstein]

Casting Billy Zane as Luthor instantly cheapens the movie for me. It's a half-assed choice and brings no imagination, credibility, or talent to the film.

Damian Lewis I could get behind. The man is a very good actor, and he's a ginger, too. I could easily see him playing Lex.

And no to some ridiculous casting like Ken Watanabe. The man can barely speak English, yet you want his character to run for president? Of the United States?! Part of me wished they had subtitled his dialogue in Inception. I had to squint my ears just to make out what the hell he was saying. And, for the record, MCD as Kingpin was terrible. He's big & he's bald - as uninspired a choice as Zane would be for Lex. And it was a **** film, too.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Exactly.

"sexy dangerous"... hehe..

IMO, Billy Zane can be a suave, charismatic Lex, yet bring out a darker side if needed. If Nolan could hire someone like Tom Berenger for "Inception", then why not Zane?

No No No... Billy Zane does not have Lex Luthor Charisma... He played a wonderful creepy, pathetic and disgusting villain in Titanic, and an awful attempt at a superhero in The Phantom...

And what does Berenger have to do with it?

I can't understand for the life of me how Billy Zane got so popular as a Lex Luthor candidate. He's had one noteworthy role in his entire career, and it was over a decade ago, and it was certainly not good enough to warrant the amount of support he has. Looking the part and playing the bad guy in Titanic isn't enough to make him qualified to play Luthor, especially since he's so old.

He got so popular because he's the only actor that you can literally find pics of him in full Luthor image. Other actors take an imagination. Most people would rather just jump on the first bald guy in a suit with a frown and say he's perfect than think of a decent actor who has hair but might be willing to give it up for the role.

 

[djkris]

OK, sorry for bringing my opinion up. My mistake

EDIT: I brought Tom Berenger up, because I was surprised to see him in INCEPTION. I am sure none thought "You know what this movie needs? Some Tom Berenger". To me, he is an actor with many movies in his bio, yet those movies are DTV or B-Movies. Just like Billy Zane.

 

[Kryptonian Warrior]

I'm sure that I will get flamed for this, and I'm just throwing a different name out there, but what about Michael Chiklis?...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-...ages/9a6ccfa7-70e6-4785-9336-f22f30ba9f15.jpg

 

[hopefuldreamer]

I'm sure that I will get flamed for this, and I'm just throwing a different name out there, but what about Michael Chiklis?...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-...ages/9a6ccfa7-70e6-4785-9336-f22f30ba9f15.jpg

Decent actor, but more of a Luthor henchmen look than a Luthor look... might work great for Darksied though

 

[JamalYIgle]

I can't understand for the life of me how Billy Zane got so popular as a Lex Luthor candidate. He's had one noteworthy role in his entire career, and it was over a decade ago, and it was certainly not good enough to warrant the amount of support he has. Looking the part and playing the bad guy in Titanic isn't enough to make him qualified to play Luthor, especially since he's so old.

Old? Billy Zane is 44.
He's also an accomplished actor and personally I think he'd make a great Lex Luthor.[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hci387uDF78[/YT]

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

Either that, or they're one of the 5 other people to see Tales of the Crypt: Demon Knight. Billy Zane ROCKED in that role.

 

[Zack Snyder]

Zane as many say, lacks the charisma but who knows what kind of acting ability Nolan could help pull (yes I realize Snyder is the director, just saying)

 

[I Am Jack's...]

Casting Billy Zane as Luthor instantly cheapens the movie for me. It's a half-assed choice and brings no imagination, credibility, or talent to the film.

Damian Lewis I could get behind. The man is a very good actor, and he's a ginger, too. I could easily see him playing Lex.

And no to some ridiculous casting like Ken Watanabe. The man can barely speak English, yet you want his character to run for president? Of the United States?! Part of me wished they had subtitled his dialogue in Inception. I had to squint my ears just to make out what the hell he was saying. And, for the record, MCD as Kingpin was terrible. He's big & he's bald - as uninspired a choice as Zane would be for Lex. And it was a **** film, too.

Agreed completely.

 

[JAK®]

Zane as many say, lacks the charisma but who knows what kind of acting ability Nolan could help pull (yes I realize Snyder is the director, just saying)

...Why can't Snyder pull some acting ability out of an actor?

 

[daywalker2007]

Agreed completely.

I guess English isn't your first language if you couldn't understand what Ken Watanabe was saying in Inception. He was perfectly clear in his language. In fact he probably speaks better English than many westerners. You'd have to be on meth or cocaine if you didn't understand what Ken Watanabe was saying. He speaks perfectly fine English, better than many native speakers.

 

[daywalker2007]

Agreed completely.

and Damian Lewis somehow brings credibility?

Some of you guys are seriously clueless about movies.

Billy Zane is an acomplished actor, if he chooses to do DTV movies, thats his choice. All I know is that he is a decent actor, he's been in many big movies, bigger than you think.

You don't need any pompous "A list" actors for this Snyder Superman movie. You need someone who delivers the performance, and if that is Billy Zane, so be it.

I couldn't care less how many dtv movies he's done.
The same with Tom Berenger, for the last decade he has been doing DTV, yet Nolan specifically hired him for this movie.

The same with Eric Roberts. Nolan didn't give a flying dog's testicles about an actors previous work. If he likes the actor and is a fan, he will hire them.

I suppose thats one of Nolan's best traits, that he likes to hire actors who he admires, rather than what the public perceives as "A listers".

to hell with "A listers".
Many so called "A listers" have as much charisma as a flushed toilet.

So get off your high horses people.

Zane for Luthor sounds like a good choice.

 

[I Am Jack's...]

I guess English isn't your first language if you couldn't understand what Ken Watanabe was saying in Inception. He was perfectly clear in his language. In fact he probably speaks better English than many westerners. You'd have to be on meth or cocaine if you didn't understand what Ken Watanabe was saying. He speaks perfectly fine English, better than many native speakers.

I agreed with what he said about Zane. That's why I bolded it. I could understand Watanabe pretty fine in Inception.

and Damian Lewis somehow brings credibility?

Some of you guys are seriously clueless about movies.

Billy Zane is an acomplished actor, if he chooses to do DTV movies, thats his choice. All I know is that he is a decent actor, he's been in many big movies, bigger than you think.

You don't need any pompous "A list" actors for this Snyder Superman movie. You need someone who delivers the performance, and if that is Billy Zane, so be it.

I couldn't care less how many dtv movies he's done.
The same with Tom Berenger, for the last decade he has been doing DTV, yet Nolan specifically hired him for this movie.

The same with Eric Roberts. Nolan didn't give a flying dog's testicles about an actors previous work. If he likes the actor and is a fan, he will hire them.

I suppose thats one of Nolan's best traits, that he likes to hire actors who he admires, rather than what the public perceives as "A listers".

to hell with "A listers".
Many so called "A listers" have as much charisma as a flushed toilet.

So get off your high horses people.

Zane for Luthor sounds like a good choice.

I think that Lewis is certainly a better actor than Zane is, so I'd say that he'd bring more credibility than Zane. Also, who says Nolan admires Zane or is a fan of him? Has he ever said so? I don't think he has, so why bring that up?

I don't really care about "it must be an A-lister" for Lex. I care about getting the best actor for the role. I happen to not think Zane is anywhere NEAR being the best actor for the role, and there are plenty of other actors (both A-list and lesser-known) who would be far, far more effective in playing Lex than him. Maybe, just maybe, Nolan/Snyder could churn out a decent-good performance out of him, but that's still taking a risk, what if Zane turned out to give an awful performance, would it be blamed on Snyder/Nolan then? It's a what if scenario based on assumption, and Snyder certainly isn't a perfect actor-director. Akerman in Watchmen, for example. He can do all he can, but sometimes, the actor/actress just isn't right for the part, plain and simple. And that's also settling for just decent-good IF they managed to get that kind of performance out of him, when I would rather aim for even better.

 

[Keyser Soze]

and Damian Lewis somehow brings credibility?

Some of you guys are seriously clueless about movies.

Billy Zane is an acomplished actor, if he chooses to do DTV movies, thats his choice. All I know is that he is a decent actor, he's been in many big movies, bigger than you think.

You don't need any pompous "A list" actors for this Snyder Superman movie. You need someone who delivers the performance, and if that is Billy Zane, so be it.

I couldn't care less how many dtv movies he's done.
The same with Tom Berenger, for the last decade he has been doing DTV, yet Nolan specifically hired him for this movie.

The same with Eric Roberts. Nolan didn't give a flying dog's testicles about an actors previous work. If he likes the actor and is a fan, he will hire them.

I suppose thats one of Nolan's best traits, that he likes to hire actors who he admires, rather than what the public perceives as "A listers".

to hell with "A listers".
Many so called "A listers" have as much charisma as a flushed toilet.

So get off your high horses people.

Zane for Luthor sounds like a good choice.

It's nothing to do with snobbery over who's an "A-lister" and who isn't. I've seen plenty of lesser known actors suggested throughout the thread. I liked Eric Roberts and Tom Berenger in The Dark Knight and Inception respectively, and I'm enjoyed Billy Zane's work in the likes of Titanic, Demon Knight and Dead Calm well enough.

The problem is that it's just a lazy, uninspired choice, based mostly on him already being bald. Now we're getting Michael Chiklis - great actor, but about as un-Lex as you can get - also being suggested solely for his baldness. While we're at it, why don't we also suggest Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Masuka from Dexter, Moby, Grant Morrison and Stone Cold Steve Austin?