Right now the best performance has to be Gene Hackman right? Although campy, his portrayal fit with the spirit of the Chris Reeves Superman movies.
Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor was extremely disappointing, although I guess you could use my previous argument with Superman Returns… My main issue was he was boring, yes he was a mad scientist, the most boring mad scientist ever. I’ve always seen Lex as a maniacal-futurist. I think he’s at his best when he truly believes he’s doing good for humanity, and sees nothing wrong with making a buck and acquiring power while accomplishing it.
Jessie Eisenberg’s manic futurist portrayal of Lex was compelling. I really appreciated the manner which he evolved into the Lex we all know and love, however Lex is Maniacal not manic, and Jessie’s performance seemed more closer to The Riddler than Lex. Too bad that cartridge has been spent, a Jessie Eisenberg Riddler across Robert Pattinson Batman?
Okay so Who? Who should be The Lex Luthor.
If he is already the mastermind Lex when it’s “protect humanity from Aliens time” I say Giancarlo Esposito
He has that voice which conveys deep intellect, the ability to be charming and charismatic, and we’ve seen his evil side. But once again as Giancarlo is entering his 60’s. Later Lex. When he has all his pawns in place. Honorary Mention: Faran Tahir another wildly talented actor.
A younger Lex Luthor, if they’re for some reason doing a Superman origin story, I would look for someone in the range of Cole Hauser, I feel like he’s played Lex before… has he? I just checked IMDb and he hasn’t. Case in point though, you had to check too! 10 years junior of Giancarlo and Faran, but he fits the bill. Commanding, conveys a scary intellect and you’re sucked in with his charisma.
If we look at actors with chops in their 40’s. Hear me out, Bill Hader? No Luke Cook. There’s a guy who can send chills, with his performance as Lucifer Morningstar on the Chilling adventures of Sabrina. My first thought was this guy is a great villain. We need to get him shaved and into a Kryptonite-Charged Cyber Suit STAT! Is it shaved or shorn? Whichever means bald and ready to battle.
Now could you go younger? I mean that was part of the problem with Jessie Eisenberg’s portrayal. Could a fella in his 30’s or 20’s have the network and smarts to offset The Man of Steel? Superman isn’t smart, he’s integrity, honor and will personified. Plus DC has made him insanely powerful, so only a man who’s already learned from mistakes would be his equal. So, they’ve kind of painted themselves in a corner here, as far as casting a nemesis. So it’s either someone insanely powerful with no direction, Doomsday, or someone equally as powerful with conflicting ideologies, Zod, or a human whom owns the resources and intelligence to strategically defeat him, Bruce Wayne or Lex Luthor.
I don’t know what do you think? Who should play Lex Luthor for the big screen? If we’re being honest every superhero movie needs to start with the antagonist or else we’ll end up with overdone CGI nonsense and no story that was Justice League, I’m looking at you Steppenwolf!
