Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor remains the very best in my opinion. He was layered, contextualised and multifaceted in a way we haven’t gotten since. The writing for him in Smallville and the dynamic with Lionel is just chef’s kiss.
Couldn’t agree more! He was a character that wanted to do good but because of his trauma and trust issues, couldn’t trust others to do it and had to be in control which ends up destroying any meaningful relationship he has. His friendship with Clark was a brilliant choice by the writers.
He was also a very different character than the usual Lex Luthor because of the fact that his hatred of Superman doesn't stem from being jealous of Superman and choosing to believe that Supes is some kind of inhuman being. It comes from their initial friendship and the feeling of betrayal that the show very much earned over several seasons. It tells a very different story that isn't indicative of any other Lex. So while he is one of the best Lex Luthors put to screen, I'd say the definitive onscreen Lex Luthor is the DCAU incarnation.
@@vision4860 Which is why them erasing Lex’s memory in the series finale is a mixed bag for me, the character motivations and rich history are seemingly thrown out in favour of aligning with the pre established Superman mythos which I think is unnecessary in a story that prides itself on subverting just that, but one could argue that Lex hating Superman (even in the comics) was based on an innate feeling of the relationship between him and Clark that he could no longer remember. The DCAU was before my time so I don’t really have opinions on it, so I can’t argue there.
Smallville Lex is character assassination. A sniveling worm motivated by vengeance & set to inherit everything from daddy as opposed to a Nietzschean man that built himself from the ground up, motivated purely by power & self-realization.
Lex has such potential to be an extremely complex and even sympathetic villain - there’s a reason so many alternate universe stories involve an altruistic Lex from a parallel earth, it’s because the OG has the brilliance to do truly great things if only he could get over his jealousy and ambition. To me that’s such a compelling character, and then as a villain, giving Superman a threat he can’t punch, he can’t chuck into space, and who is so clever, rich, and connected that the earth systems Clark has sworn to abide by won’t touch him… that’s just brilliant. All of that gets lost if you just make him a “criminal mastermind” or a weird little goober lacking charisma. He needs to be likable, he needs to be charming, he needs to be untouchable, and he needs to have the law on his side even if the law is blatantly corrupt.
This, lex Luther is at his absolute best when he maintains a public persona of beloved a philanthropist and keeps away from his criminal schemes by so many degrees of separation that Superman can’t go anywhere near him without looking like the bad guy. A proper Superman vs lex story arc doesn’t end with him fighting in a mech suit, but Superman flying a lover the world to thwart his plans then going to confront lex. Only to find him holding a press conference where he smugly thanks Superman for saving his corporate assets and makes a large donation in his name while Superman is forced to smile and accept the stalemate.
Clancy Brown Lex Luthor and Michael Rosenbaum Lex Luthor are truly one of the best versions of the character. You know what? Not only for his love of the source material, his deep and complex, his relation with superman and other heroes, his journey... Because he doesn't wash his hands after using the toilet. He is a villain.
Rosenbaum is a perfect Lex, like most characters in Smallville, it just was a tv show and was obviously drawn out, which prevents it from being the true character. But Rosenbaum will forever be my Lex.
Yeah I agree. I grew up a fan of comic superheros but didn't actually read any comics. I read up on them later but as a kid I learned of these characters from the DCAU like many other people. These versions of Lex Luthor and Batman in particular are probably the definitive portrayals
Clancy Brown’s Luthor will always reign supreme in my eyes. That animated Luthor seems much more in every aspect; more capable, more intelligent, more intimidating, etc.
I think it's important for Luthor to be a human physical specimen as well as a genius. To better reflect his frustration as a human falling short of a God (or an alien posing as a God in his eyes).
It's either Clancy Brown's DCAU Luthor or Michael Rosenbaum Lex on Smallville. There've been other great Luthors, but those are the cream of the crop. What Clancy had was the perfect combination of charm and menace. Like you meet this guy and instantly realize he isn't to be screwed with, but he's also charming and engaging.
@@bdonovable The thing about Luthor is he's a man who is incapable of embracing something beyond himself. That's why he cannot abide Superman. Because Superman represents something beyond the human and he cannot accept that. And your point about him being in great shape (and they needed to find someone attractive too) is entirely valid. The other thing about Luthor that they kind of hinted at in BVS that they needed to flesh out is that the person Lex most closely corresponds to on the Justice League is actually Batman. He represents a Batman who isn't a moral man, who cannot see the big picture with Superman and that the ultimate thorn in Superman's side would be an evil Bruce Wayne.
Smallville Luthor is nothing more than character assassination for the purpose of drawing in younger audiences. He is a conniving dweeb motivated by trauma and "friendship issues", set to inherit everything from daddy. Lex is a self-made Nietzschean archetype that clawed his way out of the slums and into the most powerful position on Earth at the head of LexCorp; he's motivated purely by empowering himself and realizing his own individual will upon the world at any cost, to take these most basic building blocks from him is to make him... well, not Lex lol.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2no I like the slow descent into evil for Smallville's Lex, it worked great for the kind of show Smallville was and the chemistry with Welling and Glover when Michael was playing opposite them was fantastic unlike Cryer who I felt was just doing a worse version of mad scientist Lex.
@@OdaKa As many times as needed, Lex Luthor is one of my favorite characters in fiction & Rosenbaum absolutely mutilates his portrayal of him. Yet everyone likes it bc he's a bit more "sympathetic". In reality, all you need to do is make a villain show traits of cliched goodness and a bunch of morally righteous dweebs will praise it as "complexity" & "development"; even though it doesn't fit the character at all.
I know it came out just weeks before this video, but Titus Welliver playing Lex Luthor on Titans was an unexpected delight. He was charismatic like Rosenbaum and confident like Clancy, but also brought wisdom and maturity to the role I've never seen in live-action. He almost won over Conor and me in one episode! It was really bittersweet and I hope we get more of him in the role in the future.
At first, I thought Jesse Eisenberg's performance was going to be Lex Luthor's public persona. He was presenting himself as an eccentric, but that mask would be removed and then we'd see the "real" Lex Luthor. I thought it was interesting he would have his own version of the Clark Kent disguise. But... that isn't what happened.
I remember sitting in that movie just knowing that I had figured out exactly what they were doing with the character, the whole eccentric tech billionaire persona was a "secret identity" just like Bruce and Clark's, and at the pivotal moment he would shed this persona and the ruthless Machiavellian Luthor would be revealed. Then we got that entire rooftop BS scene, needless to say by the time we got to "MARTHA" I was more than ready to completely check out. At least I wasn't alone in my disappointment 🤷
I think the goal was for him to evolve into the Lex we know after going to prison. I think it was kinda foreshadowed at the end with him going bald. Not trying to defend it but was just cautiously offering up an interpretation. 🤷🏾♂️
@@benjaminjenkins394 Yeah, unfortunately, that's an unnecessary step. Luthor should always be who he is when Superman is there. Or even earlier than Superman so that he'd own Metropolis.
@@excaliburknight1016 So you're making the case that character development is bad for Lex, while at the same time other haters criticize Snyder's characters for not having character development...WOW. It's fine for this Lex to have an evolution while Superman was present. He was Lex while Superman was present.
@@dignerds This particular one? Yes. Having Lex develop his villain persona later on just feels wrong. So quick with the Snyder hater too huh? Not even bothering to ask whether I liked it or not. I see your previous replies. Look, he just doesn't feel like Lex. Even before I watched any reviews on TH-cam, he felt wrong, to me. Wacky, without care, and quite honestly, stupid. Literally got into prison in his first outing. Yes, the first Superman movie did the same thing, but again, that feels wrong. Realistically, someone as rich and influential as he is shouldn't have anything to be traced back to him. If you want a civil discussion, go on, if not, as you say, GTFOH.
John Shea in Lois and Clark in the 90's is also a great Lex Luthor. There, Lex is both a brilliant businessman who has the support of the public and law, while also being an underground criminal mastermind. Shea plays both sides of Luthor perfectly portraying him as a brilliant villain who treats life as a game where he comes out on top. Superman's appearance first intrigues Luthor as a challenge, a test of an obstacle to overcome. As the season progresses, that intrigue turns to jealousy, as Superman starts gathering the adoration of the public, which he resents, because he is no longer the big man on campus. In the end, his evil side is exposed, the billionaire do-gooder revealed to be a fraud, and the real Lex emerges to challenge Superman in Seasons 2 & 3. Really well done.
I agree, and it's such a shame that this is the only screen adaptation of the character that Nerdstalgic seemed to have forgotten. (Excluding video games and Titans)
Totally agree. Shea will always be my favorite Lex Luthor unless someone else does an even better job of portraying the 'greatest of all living criminals!'
I really liked Michael Rosenbaum's depiction of Lex Luthor. Both he and the writers gave us a Lex who was complex, layered and, most importantly, conflicted. I think it's to Rosembaum's credit that nuance was added that hadn't existed the character in previous iterations. I recently re-watched Smallville and I found myself really rooting for Lex to overcome his demons despite the fact I already knew how it would end.
"Both he and the writers gave us a Lex who was complex, layered and, most importantly, conflicted. " You mean they gave us a Lex who... wasn't Lex. Lmao, just because writers add some bs traumatic "tragic backstory" for the moral hippies to analyze doesn't mean it's good character development, Rosenbaum's Lex is literally character assassination. He deliberately removes many of the fundamental building blocks of what makes Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor in essence is a Nietzschean archetype; a self-made man propelled by his own will towards self-empowerment at all costs. He tosses aside all that doesn't help him realize his will unto the world. He is depicted as being undeterred by concepts such as morality and relationships, which contrasts perfectly against Superman who entirely defines himself according to such values. Yet we abandon this, just to come up with some traumatized daddys boy with an emo backstory. But hey it's good bc "laYErs!" "coMpleXitY!" lmao tf
I always felt frustrated for Lex in the series because it seemed like Clark was in so many ways a punishment for him. Consider how many other heroes who were far more flexible in their morality and how differently meeting them instead of Clark might have turned out.... Think of a young professor X, the Winchesters from supernatural, older Jason Todd [with the all blades], Daredevil, and so on. They might not have agreed on everything, but they also could have learned from each other and been able to rely upon each other. It is so aggravating.
@@OdaKa No they don't. Nietzschean men are born, not made; at least, "pure" ones are. In the comics, Lex is this way from birth; as a kid he holds himself above all others because of his intellect & abilities, he bullies people and antagonizes others whilst gloating about the things he will achieve. He hates his father for being stupid & a drunk, and hates his environment in general due to it being one of destitute poverty. At his first opportunity he kills his father & moves to Metropolis to start his own company, skipping college completely and becoming the most wealthy & powerful man on the planet of his own ability. From the offset, Lex is a singular being out to move the world; seeing himself as innately better than everything & everyone. But Rosenbaum's "Lex"? A worm, utterly overwhelmed by circumstance and traumatized by his petty relationships with others.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2no Your hatred of Rosenbaum's Lex is bizarre. Also, all you've described is a typical psychopathic villain. Those are a dime a dozen. It's not that interesting. A villain becoming a villain out of tragedy is way more interesting and does add more complexity to the character.
I like the Lex Luthor from Young Justice. A man who’s always three steps ahead and gets inside your mind. And could get away with practically anything.
@@LuisSanchez-by7mh Because Esienberg was not playing Luthor. He’s playing Toyman. A character that would work great as a Batman vs Superman villain. He’s the Batman who was willing to kill.
@@KhanhNguyen-mh5ec The movie is a conflicting one. It wanted us to know about the source material but at the same time disconnect ourselves from it. That’s not deconstructing, it’s just an embarrassing plot contrivance. Also how did we talk about Batman now, wasn’t it about Lex Luthor?
I thought that the best way to portray Luthor, and done well by both by Clancy Brown and Michael Rosenbaum, is that Luthor is in *the wrong story*. He's the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," industrious boy that will change the world by his inventions and mind and the world will love him for it. ...the problem is that he's in a four-color superhero comic, not a E.E. Smith science fiction novel or a Horatio Algers novel where that works. At some level, he realizes this, and this makes him very, very angry.
I hadn’t thought about it like that. Very well said! He represents what a man can achieve when he accesses his full potential. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean jack compared to an all-powerful alien.
:: applauds :: Well done. This is the sort of critical inquiry I never expect to find in TH-cam comments. This is maybe the best character brief one could have. "Lex Luthor is the greatest mind of his generation, but he's in the 'wrong story,' smart enough to be self-aware of it, and it drives him mad." Well done!
Except for the fact that Rosenbaum's portrayal is horrible at depicting those central traits of Lex. He is a conniving dweeb motivated by trauma and "friendship issues", set to inherit everything from daddy. Lex is a self-made Nietzschean archetype that clawed his way out of the slums and into the most powerful position on Earth at the head of LexCorp; he's motivated purely by empowering himself and realizing his own individual will upon the world at any cost, to take these most basic building blocks from him is to make him... well, not Lex lol.
Also, Lex isn't in the wrong story; Superman himself states that a fully realized Lex will outshine & outdo him. Keep in mind he's taken The Omega Force from Darkseid before, gaining all of his powers; it's not a question of "being in an environment of superheroes", he can easily surpass them. The tragedy of his character is him being distracted by his vendetta with Superman, he doesn't simply seek to defeat him but to mar his image in the minds of all men; anything less is unworthy of him. This is where he gets distracted from his primary path of self-realization & self-empowerment.
Nicely said. It's like the episode of The Simpsons where Frank Grimes had to work for everything he had and here comes Homer Simpsons, a complete idiot who has everything and it drives him mad.
I was never a big fan of Superman or Lex Luthor, but I am a fan of Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor. His version has charisma in spades, and he could convey the character's complexity with pretty much every delivery of his lines.
1:15 “Whose greatest asset was not money, gadgets or weaponry, it was simply his mind. Luthor showed us that a mortal could stand toe to toe against a god like superman” Kinda sounds like you described Batman in a way
Lex is alot dumber than batman with a bigger ego. Thankfully in his case superman is also dumber. Though in a 1 v 1 batman would destory lex in 5 minutes.
@@ridge825 luthor is a drama queen who thinks that having a business gives him a personality while batman is more of a soldier willing to die for his cause.
Batman and Luthor are two sides of the same coin. Replace Batman's empathy with narcissism, and you have Lex Luthor. Incidentally, one of my favorite origins for Joker is based off that dichotomy. In Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, the characters are all high school age. Joker is a rich spoiled kid who becomes a criminal simply because he can. Similar to Thomas Elliot (Hush). He isn't crazy, he just has no restraint. He does whatever he wants because he knows he can get away with it, because he's rich. Similar to how Eisenberg played Lex. Frankly, I think he would have been a perfect Joker.
I think that Rosenbaum did a great job in Smallville. John Glover's Lionel Luther in that show was a very good addition to the show and made you understand how Lex became the ruthless person in the end. Like father like son. Eisenberg's Lex just feels like a crazy person while Rosenbaum's Lex has been a product of his father's cold way of raising his son and see life as one big business transaction. Nothing is free, people are not for making friends but for creating opportunities you can exploit, people always want something from you, business comes first - always, love and friendship is for the weak. And through the seasons you can actually see Lex growing into his role, going from the average snobby rich kid with a few friends to distancing himself more and more from the few friends he had in the beginning and turning to the corporate life, becoming cold and eventually losing the friends he had and ultimately turning against them and everybody that stands in his way. Lionel Luthor was a huge part of Lex's mindset. You see none of this with any of the other Lex Luthor versions and to be honest, Eisenberg really isn't suited to play that role, he just comes off crazy while he should be portraying a person that is a total corporate workaholic and treats everything like it was a business transaction, exactly knows what he is doing, treats life as one big chess game and he is 10 steps ahead. in other words, nothing like the crazy mumbling fool he portrayed.
You didn't understand Eisenberg's character at all. He is a man obsessed with power in that movie. And he definitely IS ten steps ahead everyone else. He hates the feeling of powerlessness that Superman's existence causes to him, and he wants nobody else to be more powerful than him. He's crazy but in a very rational way... a mad scientist-genius
@@goranmilic442 that's not true at all. In BvS's universe Lex Luthor's father was named Lex too. That doesn't change the fact that Eisenberg was THE Lex Luthor
What people don't understand about Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor is that he was based off of the Lex Luthor from the 1930s to the 1970s in the comics. After that they made him the versions you see in popular media after that.
Nice try. I loved Hackman's Luthor. But he's not very much like the Golden/Silver Age Luthor (who wasn't charismatic; he was notoriously fat, boring, and humorless).
@@PotrzebieConolly I'd say so. He was able to get General Zod and his cronies to listen to him and promise him an entire continent to rule in exchange for Superman. He only ever had Otis around to make him feel smarter in comparison because he was egotistical, and its not confirmed but I'm like 99% sure Tessbacher was his fling he kept around, beyond that Luthor didn't need more people around him.
Hackman's Luthor is underrated in that he plays a camp Luthor perfectly. He's not a serious villain like you'd find in a Nolan movie, but he's not an over-the-top joke like Eisenberg's Luthor. He's funny and makes you laugh, but his threat to Superman is never downplayed, he's able to juggle both and I think that's largely a testament to Gene Hackman being such a good actor. He was perfect for what the Reeve movies were going for.
I felt you threw Jon Cryer's Lex under the bus. Jon did a serviceable version of Lex that worked under the constraints of modern TV. IMO, did a great job redeeming his former appearance from way back in Superman 3 and Jon showed he can do much more than the dreck from Two and a Half Men.
You missed John Shea as Luthor in Lois and Clark. I thought he played the mogul version of him really well. With jealosy of Superman as his prime motivation.
@@randallflagg3700 John cryer to me can’t sell the hatred of kryptonian that Jesse shea Hackman did he did show on two and a half men that he could play having a dark side but lex isn’t just someone with a dark side
I think Jon Cryer is the best live action Lex Luthor. I can’t wait to see him as the villian in the new Superman show so much. Hackman is a verrry close second, and his portrayal is beautiful to watch. He’s loving the character…and it shows.
Love this! Lex Luthor has always been one of my favorite villains. Michael Rosenbaum was incredible! It’s a shame that the character hasn’t been done justice in the big screen
Sad to see no mention of John Shea's performance in the 90s Lois & Clark series - which, in my book, also has the best Superman in live-action, due to the extensive focus on Clark Kent.
That series really didn’t get enough love. I also thought that version of Superman was one of the top 3 live action portrayals. The way he would completely change his speech and mannerisms when going from Clark to Superman really sold the disguise beyond just throwing on a pair of glasses.
Funny that Jon Cryer plays Lex Luthor in Supergirl. He played Lex's nephew in Superman-Quest for Peace. I'm sure that was intentional on the production's part.
You missed John Shea as Luther in Lois & Clark. Season 1 of that show may be the best Luther we have seen on screen. Charismatic, manipulative, and a Machiavellian villain who knows how look like a good guy.
Eh, I feel like Cryer, Rosenbaum and even Titans and the old Superboy tv show Lex did the character better in a lot of ways in comparison. John Shea was a great Lex but I don’t know about best
I've always liked Gene Hackman's performance as Lex Luthor but then again that is more than likely just my bias opinion having grown up with that Lex Luthor.
What people always miss about Jessie Eisenberg is that when he is introduced he refers to his father as Lex Luther... so this is the son of the original character we know.
One of my favorite moments of lex Luther happened in young justice. Even though he has a hatred for Superman and wants him gone he was will to work with him and the others when it came to protecting his planet.
I think Spacey came the very closest to Luthor as he *should* be in one very specific scene, but outside of that, I never really thought any on-screen actor ever did him justice; only the DCAU did.
Spacey was so close to greatness in Superman Returns, in fact I'd say the entire movie was almost perfect, but fell short in ways that made it less then the sum of its parts. On paper, Lex's plan is to use Superman's own Birthright, (which he only knows how to use because of a hologram of Superman's father) to destory the world, killing billions, just so he can remake it in his image, and that image will convey the utter distain Lex has for superman by being made out of kriptonite, a substance that rejects superman on a fundamental, atomic, level. Lex Luther would rather reign in hell than serve mankind alongside Superman, it's extremely poetic and all the crueler and more dastardly because of it, also he stabs superman with a kriptonite shiv like they're on some fucking prison yard. It's metal as fuck.
I agree, he is one of, and if not, the most overlooked of the Luthor actors. While the scientific genius was not used to a certain extent, and he wasn't necessarily bald except for one time, Shea's version was charismatic, sophisticated, athletic, cunning, petty, and ruthless. He hated Superman, and saw his need to defeat him as the ultimate challenge. His version's unique obsession to win over Lois Lane actually proved his downfall. Had it not been for that, he probably would have killed Superman and ruled the world.
Before the Batman vs Superman movies, i always envisioned Mark Strong playing Lex Luthor, he was already bald, intimidating and highly intelligent and deadly. Of course that idea went out the window when he played the Villain of Shazam, which he did great btw.
The review of Rosenbaum here completely misses the mark. His version of Lex Luthor remains the best in TV/Film to date. Limited only by the fact that the show ended with Clark's full transition to Superman
I'll go the other direction, and give an example of the live-action accomplishing what animation or comic could never... Magneto. Regardless of how you feel about the big picture story, those silent, slightly lingering closeups on Ian McKellen's eyes convey more of the sadness, isolation, and rage that drives everything else, than thousands of words could ever do. I must give credit to the entire direction and editing team, to make the most of Ian's efforts. But nobody else could have given us, what Ian managed to in those quiet moments.
Thinking about this, with my actor and improviser hat on, I think the best path to portraying Lex Luthor on screen would be to play the character with a lot more subtlety than has generally been the case. As fun as it is for an actor, and the temptation is delicious, whoever plays him should avoid any scene chewing or grandstanding. He needs to be easily likable and someone the audience doesn't just want to empathize with, but almost can't avoid it. For that reason, it would be a great boon for someone who is already well liked to play Luthor. To that end, I propose the best possible casting of an actor to play Lex Luthor would be.... Tom Hanks!!!
Great video. To this day the animated DCAU lex Luther is my definite Luther. He was done so perfectly in those shows, that I’m shocked the live action films didn’t just take inspiration from that. PS I’ve always wanted billy Zane to play Lex Luther.
The thing that really makes lex work is that his opposition to superman is deeply personal, even in stories where they've never met, or Lex isn't yet fully villainous. The precise reasons vary, but every memorable Lex is one where Superman is the bug under his skin, rather than just an opponent.
Funny enough, there's a fanfic version of Luthor worth looking at as well. For a time, there was an effort to create all sorts of rationalist fanfiction (inspired by the success of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality). One of those stories presented a Luthor who, while still criminal, was also a rationalist. In it, he decided that Superman needed to die the second he presented himself to the world, a choice stemming not from envy but instead fear and a small amount of selflessness. His thinking was that, the greater the power available to a man, the greater the good will necessary to prevent him from misusing it. In the case of Superman, Luthor didn't believe that level of goodwill possible, and the eventual consequences catastrophic. So, Luthor took a man clandestine approach to root out a way to end this potential threat to humanity. Honestly, it's kind of a blend of Luthor's and Waller's frames of mind, but it's a fascinating bit of characterization.
@@c99kfm Thank you! I honestly could not remember the name of the story. I only know about it because the podcast responsible for HPMOR's audiobook adaptation went on to adapt Metropolitan Man along with a few other rationalist works
Sounds like this is what they TRIED to do in BvS with Batman. Just goes to show how much they messed up with that movie, when Batman's motivation is more in line with motivation fitting Luthor.
Outside of the comics, JLU did the best job portraying Lex (even w/ the confines of being a "kids" cartoon). Other than that, the Smallville show did a good job of showing his humanity, (by giving a great portrayal of his friendship w/ Clark/Superman), but it was focused on making him more of an "anti-hero" than a vilain. The live-action versions of Lex, because they made him too much of a mad-scientist, as opposed to a cunning strategist. Lex should always be able to wiggle his way out of anything, & he should never be able to really be caught, or even charged w/ anything. He should be more like Batman, but instead of being "unbeatable" because of planning & strategy, he should also be a gifted strategist, but also be able to think on his feet when those plans fall thru. Ironically DC should take a cue from Marvel & try to portray Lex more like Dr. Doom, in terms of personality (just in a less noble & less flamboyant manner). And Lex should be charming & charismatic, & never "socially awkward". Giving him a powersuit, would help in his live-action portrayals too. He should be able to pose a physical threat to Superman w.o always having to bust out Kryptonite & have Supes drop to his knees, anticlimactically. They should fly around, fight & wreck the city, like Supes did w/ Zod. And their dynamic should be framed as Lex is extremely xenophobic, but he argues that he's saving the planet from invading "aliens". That could be a metaphor for our own "border crisis", as well as the Kryptonian invasion. Just play off of what happened in JLU to form Project Cadmus.
I agree with most of your points, but you can't really write Lex as uncatchable and still have him fighting Superman in a mech suit throughout the city. Everyone would immediately know he's a bad guy, unless you just have the public hate Supes.
@@Cobra_125 You say that but its entirely believable that with a bit of spin you could brush such things under the rug. At worst you could frame it as a misunderstanding or a disagreement between "gods" and most of humanity would likely go along with it enough to accept it and forget.
Michael Rosenbaum is hands down my favorites Lex. He’s the only villain I’ve ever rooted for just based on how much he endeared himself to the audience, much like his relationship with Clark- seeing him become a villain overtime is honestly heartbreaking as an audience member
I think it's also worth mentioning that Michael Rosenbaum plays a great version of the Flash in the DCAU as well. IMO the DCAU sets the standard for just about every DC character that it features.
Askelad from Vinland saga. Definitely one of the greatest villians I’ve seen in terms of charisma and relatability. SERIOUSLY if you haven’t heard of him, just watch clips of him and you’ll understand.
I think a Lex Luthor story that would be interesting to explore is Lexor It’s an entire planet full of people that adore and worship him, where he settles down and actually has a happy family until Superman accidentally destroys it and that has the potential to be a really interesting story
In the comics you have superman who is alien, but with the heart moral, compassionate human. Then you have lex-luthor who is the opposite of this. But something that the movies never captured was that Lex Luthor is basically the perfect human specimen in every other aspect. He's strong, smart, successful. He's basically perfect in everyway except that he's a complete psychopath. In the movies they've always made casting choices that highlight lex luthors wit, drive, and ruthlessness. But the've never had an actor that also has the physical presence in my opinion. Meeting lex luthor in real life should feel like meeting someone who you know is smarter, stronger, and more successful than you will ever be, yet you idolize and love the guy because he's perfectly charismatic and know just what to say to get you to do what he wants.
I gotta say that John Cryer's recent portrayal on Supergirl and Crisis on Infinite Earths is the best I've seen since Hackman. Guy has some serious chops.
Would have loved to see commentary on John Shea's performance in Lois and Clark. I particularly remember liking him as Lex Luthor, but I was a child and it was the 90s. It's probably aged poorly, but I would have loved a commentary on it against the other performances.
Same. I rarely see vids when comparing superman characters across movies or series, Lois and Clark mentioned. It would be interesting to go back and watch a few episodes.
I think it has aged well. I have the seasons on DVD and do a watch-through about once a year (Lois and Clark was one of my favorite shows as a kid and by far my favorite live action Superman show - I never could get into Smallville, even though I was a teen at the time, and never understood the hype). John Shea, I think, embodies Lex Luthor to a T, especially in Season 1. They should have used him more throughout the rest of the series because he was a fantastic villain, but I believe they were working within John Shea's scheduling constraints. Oh, well. I still think it's a great show and also has, in my opinion, the absolute best Clark and Superman.
I like Gene Hackman and John Shea, but I'm biased since I grew up in the 80s and 90s and those where the 2 guys who played Luthor. Gene Hackman played Lex in the 80s Donner/Reeve movies, and John Shea gave a criminally underrated performance as a business tycoon version of Luthor on the 90s Lois&Clark TV show. Hackman did add more comedy to the role, but he really was the first superhero movie villain for the big screen, so he didn't have much to go by except those Adam West campy Batman villains. Thankfully Donner reeled Hackman in but there was a real evil and menace to Hackman's Luthor, but I thought he was genuinely funny too. Remember when Zod says "Jor-El!? Our jailer!!??" and Hackman's Luthor responds "No Jor-El the baseball player!, Yes Jor-El your jailer".
IMO, the best portrayals of Luthor capture the projection aspect of his character. He claims to hate Superman because he could destroy/rule us at a whim. Luthor hates himself because deep down it's what he would do in a second if he had that power and projects that onto Supes. Superman is a living reminder to Luthor's that his intelligence and strength of will is always superseded by his greed.
DCAU Luthor and Red Son Luthor are my two favourite itterations of the character. I wish someone would film Red Son Superman in live action just to see Luthor’s introductory scene
My favorite version of Lex was Smallville. It feel like silver/Bronze Age (specifically Elliot S. Maggin Lex) , a sympathetic monster raised by Post Crisis Lex. I think Gene Hackman Lex was that is felt like a Bond villain with elements of Golden Age Lex (a man more interested in world domination and using science for power than simple schemes) and seemed to be a perfect template for early Byrne Lex. Eisenberg Lex seemed to have all potential (mixing modern comics Lex and real world Silicon Valley billionaires) but it wasn’t given space to be properly fleshed out unfortunately. DCAU Lex is amazing because we saw him as a post crisis billionaire CEO in STAS, Mad Scientist super villain in JL, potential president and he had the space to have his personality to be fleshed out and develop.
Having Lionel on Smallville was pretty brilliant. It let Clark match wits with not only the younger Lex who could be his friend, but also what amounted to a darker, more established/powerful version of the character. It let them do a more gradual slide into villainy for Lex himself since from a writing perspective Lionel took off a lot of pressure to make Lex 'evil' as quickly as possible. Also, Lionel serving as a foil for Lex gave him more to do and allowed for those stories where Clark gets caught between them and has to untangle what's going on. In addition, the Lex-Lionel relationship allowed for contrasts with Clark's relationships with both Jonathan and Jor-El as well as allowing for a deeper range of backstory connections going back a generation.
@@MythicFox I fully agree with all that, not to mention it allowed the viewers to get a glimpse of the potential evil that Lex could become (if not worse) as well as an explanation of why Lex was the way he is. (Instead of just how BvS Lex saying it in his monologue in the first meeting with Superman). Lionel (or specifically Lex’s father) being abusive and alienating Lex was always a big point in the comic since the Elliot S Maggin’s comics, but Smallville was the first time we actually visually saw how big of an impact it had on the younger Luthor . I think it really did justice to the nature vs nurture and how big of an impact people can have on one’s journey that Smallville tried to tell.
Let Clancy Brown do it on the big screen, not only was he amazing but the age difference between him and Cavill would work wonders emphasizing Lex's opinion of Superman.
I haven't read the comic, but if you mean the movie adaptation, I can definitely agree. Top 3 onscreen Lexes along with DCAU and Smallville. Doesn't have nearly as much screentime though so I'd place him at #3.
I love that scene and how they adapted that panel because it truly depicts Luthor's greatest hubris, his own ego. He has long believed that Superman should not exist as no man should have that level of power and yet remain good. It's in his human nature, pure cynicism that he believes that after a traumatic childhood where he had to pull himself up to sore as high as powerful as he has become, seeing Superman gave him the belief that if humanity depends on a being like that then humanity will lose reliance on themselves which is a fascinating motivation that that scene explores. For one moment Lex was Superman, and when he was able to get a glimpse of everything he could do, and when Superman gives him an epiphany, we see him breakdown realising that if he truly cared about humanity if he was so self-reliant and humble with power, he could have saved the world years ago. What makes it even more compelling is that he admits it, to Superman himself, and Lex Luthor is a man too self-righteous to ever admit when he's wrong.
What we need is an adaptation of Superman All Star. Or atleast one that takes the core elements from that story. I really feel like it shows the best parts of Both Clark and Lex's characters.
I liked the discussion and analysis of the different versions of Luthor. I would have also liked to see your take on the Luthor from Lois and Clark which is my personal favourite. I liked how he was never directly involved in whatever scheme was playing out but it was all his design. I also liked that he was interested in the finer things in life but also had that jealousy.
Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor is the best and my favorite. Regarding Eisenberg's Luthor...at first I hated his interpretation. But after reading the comic BIRTH RIGHT, I understood this version of Lex. And after rewatching, BVS again more than two times, I actually liked Eisenbergs Lex and realized it was more close to the earliest comics; where he's depicted as a mad, unhinged scientist. And after reading Birthright, there were a lot of similarities. But what I liked about Eisenberg's Lex was his upfront, fearless ego. There were several moments where Superman could've burned him, but I think this version of Lex was by far the most unhinged and fearless. And by fearless, he wasn't even flinching even in the face of Doomsday. Nevertheless, I prefered the Smalleville version of Lex....for obvious reasons. There's so many layers and depth to him.
I actually really enjoyed Young Justice's take on Luthor (voiced by Mark Rolston), granted it's definitely not as fleshed out as his JL:AS appearances. I feel like they really nailed down a good balance with his charisma, manipulation, and intelligence, and having him play such a heavy role with the Kon-el storyline allowed for you to have that unhealthy envious relationship with Superman without it becoming specifically a Lex and Superman story.
Some great points in here. The motivation for Lex’s hatred of Superman has yet to be fully explored in live action. He’s possibly the greatest super villain because of his capabilities and reasons for being evil. He has the classic case of hero syndrome and Superman takes that away from him. He’s the most powerful man on earth yet one “Super” man will always have what he wants despite him not even being a real man in Luthor’s eyes.
The irritating thing about the Jesse Eisenberg Luther, is that script for Luther is OK with a good monologue in the film, but Jesse was not the actor who could do them justice.
Well first, I'm surprised you didn't even mention Lois & Clark's Lex, which is one of the better on-screen portrayals. What he and Rosenbaum's performances captured was Lex's charm. You could believe that people who don't really know him think him a good person.
I had reservations when Jon Cryer got cast as Lex on Supergirl, but he proved to be the best Luthor on TV since Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville and Clancy Brown on S:TAS.
I think Lex in his best form is when in addition to his cunning mind and determination is the "flaw" that he is a Human Supremacist... In a world of super-powered aliens and not-quite human heros, being someone who believes wholeheartedly in the supremacy of human beings makes for an intriguing antagonist.
Rosenbaum's Lex is by far my favorite. Such nuance and depth - not to mention an insane character arc - that isn't in many characters, much less villains, much less Lex Luthors in modern day.
Michael Rosenbaum from Smallville was the best real life action: old money - aristocrat, raised by his father not to love but to excel at everything; obsess with superman, but ultimately, obsessed with the idea of himself becoming superman Worst one by far was Kevin Spacey's, although it was ultimately Singers fault who didnt portray a serious lex luthor, but a hollywood-esque cartoonish version of Luthor
Agree with you 100% about Clancy Brown's DCAU Luthor. But I think you're selling Smallville short, Michael Rosenbaum is a fantastic Luthor. As is Lois & Clark's John Shea! Also, it's Christopher Reeve. No S. ;)
I always pictured The Rock or Mark Strong as Lex. Someone at the peak of human conditioning mentally and physically. Someone that everyone admired until Superman came along and proved that no matter what he could never measure up to Superman. That’s what makes him spiral into madness.
That comment about Luthor being an attainable way of living, but falling short because he hasn't got the same moral center Supes does, made me realize why I like versions of Luthor where he is arguably a good, or goodish, guy. Luthor from Red Son and Luthor from Injustice come to mind; there is something really cathartic about seeing Luthor at least trying to get over himself.
@@dividendjohnson4327 Yeah conveniently you like good like Lex when Superman is the bad guy of the story. Literally every arch enemy is the opposite of the hero.
Gene hackman is fantastic in that first superman movie. However I definitely love both Clancy Brown and Michael Rosenbaum too. The main problem area is with the movies. I do hope one day there will be a new Superman movie with a great Lex Luthor again but at least we'll always have Smallvile and the DCAU.
I really would have liked to see Idris Elba as Lex Luther and his public image would have been philanthropist and tech genius but in reality he never cared for people but loved the attention, he would have been on the cover of every magazine until Superman shows up and takes his thunder, Lex invents and cures and works hard for a body everybody envy’s and Superman Is born with everything
Didn't hurt that they got Clancy Brown, a very well-rounded actor, to play the part. He could go from smug, to charming, to menacing in a single scene and not feel forced.
Warner Brothers you f*cked up! Ben Aflac was bad enough. But Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther!? WTAF!! Thanks for letting him portray one of the greatest super villians ever as a squeeky-geeky, teeny bopper- basket case! Good job! Hope he was cheap.
Honestly my favorite depictions have to JLA's Lex Luthor,Lois and Clark's Lex Luthor,And Certainly Smallville's Lex Luthor!! Lois and Clark:The New Adventures of Superman truly made me scared as a kid bc he managed to hurt Clark and almost married Lois!! He was so terrifying thanks to his wealth and intelligence! His death was pretty cool bc he sacrificed himself to save Lois Lane,the only person he truly loved(even though it was his own fault lol!)
I think the problem with that movie was they where trying to make a sequel to Superman 2. So few actors in that movie got to shine because they could never live up to the actors they where emulating. Think if they made a stand alone story that had nothing to do with the movies before it, then it would have been much better.
the lex we got was spot on for how a billionaire with an ego and an inferiority complex might act. because we can see how they act right now by turning on the news.
![เป็นไปได้ไหม - WanMai [Performance Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Eh5hItD4Mr0/mqdefault.jpg)
The animated Lex Luthor from the Justice League show is the best the character has ever been.
nah the one from smallville
Exactly
I loved how animated Luthor had a Lexosuit. But it wasn't his powersuit...that was a tuxedo.
Facts
Louder for the people in the back.
Michael Rosenbaum from Smallville was the best modern depiction. Both in acting and in the characters motivation and story.
Exactly my thoughts; literally
Facts
And I grew up with Smallville
Michael Cudlitz says hold my beer, Rosenbaum was nowhere near as good as you Schmuckville fanatatics think he was.
@@ValiantWrestlingyou have to be joking😂😂 like seriously
@@ValiantWrestlingwho?
Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor remains the very best in my opinion. He was layered, contextualised and multifaceted in a way we haven’t gotten since. The writing for him in Smallville and the dynamic with Lionel is just chef’s kiss.
Agree! He didn't play him "crazy" like a lot of the others.
Couldn’t agree more! He was a character that wanted to do good but because of his trauma and trust issues, couldn’t trust others to do it and had to be in control which ends up destroying any meaningful relationship he has. His friendship with Clark was a brilliant choice by the writers.
He was also a very different character than the usual Lex Luthor because of the fact that his hatred of Superman doesn't stem from being jealous of Superman and choosing to believe that Supes is some kind of inhuman being. It comes from their initial friendship and the feeling of betrayal that the show very much earned over several seasons. It tells a very different story that isn't indicative of any other Lex.
So while he is one of the best Lex Luthors put to screen, I'd say the definitive onscreen Lex Luthor is the DCAU incarnation.
@@vision4860 Which is why them erasing Lex’s memory in the series finale is a mixed bag for me, the character motivations and rich history are seemingly thrown out in favour of aligning with the pre established Superman mythos which I think is unnecessary in a story that prides itself on subverting just that, but one could argue that Lex hating Superman (even in the comics) was based on an innate feeling of the relationship between him and Clark that he could no longer remember. The DCAU was before my time so I don’t really have opinions on it, so I can’t argue there.
Smallville Lex is character assassination. A sniveling worm motivated by vengeance & set to inherit everything from daddy as opposed to a Nietzschean man that built himself from the ground up, motivated purely by power & self-realization.
Lex has such potential to be an extremely complex and even sympathetic villain - there’s a reason so many alternate universe stories involve an altruistic Lex from a parallel earth, it’s because the OG has the brilliance to do truly great things if only he could get over his jealousy and ambition. To me that’s such a compelling character, and then as a villain, giving Superman a threat he can’t punch, he can’t chuck into space, and who is so clever, rich, and connected that the earth systems Clark has sworn to abide by won’t touch him… that’s just brilliant.
All of that gets lost if you just make him a “criminal mastermind” or a weird little goober lacking charisma. He needs to be likable, he needs to be charming, he needs to be untouchable, and he needs to have the law on his side even if the law is blatantly corrupt.
So... Littlefinger from the ASOIAF books?
@@nirobu Kind of, only in complete control of the law, his minions and himself. And with a law that doesn't change at the stroke of a blade.
@@c99kfm and also already knows that "Power is Power"
Upvoting for excellent use of 'goober'
This, lex Luther is at his absolute best when he maintains a public persona of beloved a philanthropist and keeps away from his criminal schemes by so many degrees of separation that Superman can’t go anywhere near him without looking like the bad guy.
A proper Superman vs lex story arc doesn’t end with him fighting in a mech suit, but Superman flying a lover the world to thwart his plans then going to confront lex. Only to find him holding a press conference where he smugly thanks Superman for saving his corporate assets and makes a large donation in his name while Superman is forced to smile and accept the stalemate.
Clancy Brown Lex Luthor and Michael Rosenbaum Lex Luthor are truly one of the best versions of the character.
You know what?
Not only for his love of the source material, his deep and complex, his relation with superman and other heroes, his journey...
Because he doesn't wash his hands after using the toilet.
He is a villain.
To be fair, that was The Flash. :P
The Flash was voiced by Michael Rosenbaum in Justice League. The episode where they switch bodies is one of the funniest crossovers of all time.
Very evil
Lex Luthor "I don't wash my hands because of all the germs in the world, mine DESERVE to live."
Aren’t you going to wash your hands?!
Lex: no, because I’m evil
Rosenbaum is a perfect Lex, like most characters in Smallville, it just was a tv show and was obviously drawn out, which prevents it from being the true character. But Rosenbaum will forever be my Lex.
It was also quite weird to watch a teenage show in which absolutely all characters looked like adults who are over 25.
Wrong, Eisenberg is the best Lex we've seen.
@@Auron1Roxas2 💀
@@brycebrooks8484 You should try living life with your head out of your own ass.
Rosenbaum was better as Wally West. Clancy Brown was the best Lex
Once again, the DCAU sets the standard for portraying a major DC character. I'm not even a huge comic book nerd, but those shows were awesome.
Yeah I agree. I grew up a fan of comic superheros but didn't actually read any comics. I read up on them later but as a kid I learned of these characters from the DCAU like many other people. These versions of Lex Luthor and Batman in particular are probably the definitive portrayals
Well when the comics are nearly 80 years of history a TV series is the better way than film to fit as much into characterization and action.
Grew up with Justice League Unlimited. The DCAU will always have a special place in my heart
Agreed a cartoon made these dc characters more memorable and real than any of the live action films
We can say that about any comic book character in the animated universe.
Clancy Brown’s Luthor will always reign supreme in my eyes. That animated Luthor seems much more in every aspect; more capable, more intelligent, more intimidating, etc.
I think it's important for Luthor to be a human physical specimen as well as a genius. To better reflect his frustration as a human falling short of a God (or an alien posing as a God in his eyes).
"CORRECT"!
It's either Clancy Brown's DCAU Luthor or Michael Rosenbaum Lex on Smallville. There've been other great Luthors, but those are the cream of the crop. What Clancy had was the perfect combination of charm and menace. Like you meet this guy and instantly realize he isn't to be screwed with, but he's also charming and engaging.
@@bdonovable The thing about Luthor is he's a man who is incapable of embracing something beyond himself. That's why he cannot abide Superman. Because Superman represents something beyond the human and he cannot accept that. And your point about him being in great shape (and they needed to find someone attractive too) is entirely valid. The other thing about Luthor that they kind of hinted at in BVS that they needed to flesh out is that the person Lex most closely corresponds to on the Justice League is actually Batman. He represents a Batman who isn't a moral man, who cannot see the big picture with Superman and that the ultimate thorn in Superman's side would be an evil Bruce Wayne.
Animated Luthor (Clancy Brown) and Smallville Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) are the best Luthors
Damn right. Smallville Luthor was a good example of a developing Luthor while Animated Luthor was a good example of a fully formed Luthor.
Smallville Luthor is nothing more than character assassination for the purpose of drawing in younger audiences. He is a conniving dweeb motivated by trauma and "friendship issues", set to inherit everything from daddy. Lex is a self-made Nietzschean archetype that clawed his way out of the slums and into the most powerful position on Earth at the head of LexCorp; he's motivated purely by empowering himself and realizing his own individual will upon the world at any cost, to take these most basic building blocks from him is to make him... well, not Lex lol.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2no I like the slow descent into evil for Smallville's Lex, it worked great for the kind of show Smallville was and the chemistry with Welling and Glover when Michael was playing opposite them was fantastic unlike Cryer who I felt was just doing a worse version of mad scientist Lex.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2no how many times have you copy-pasted this? lol
@@OdaKa As many times as needed, Lex Luthor is one of my favorite characters in fiction & Rosenbaum absolutely mutilates his portrayal of him. Yet everyone likes it bc he's a bit more "sympathetic". In reality, all you need to do is make a villain show traits of cliched goodness and a bunch of morally righteous dweebs will praise it as "complexity" & "development"; even though it doesn't fit the character at all.
I know it came out just weeks before this video, but Titus Welliver playing Lex Luthor on Titans was an unexpected delight. He was charismatic like Rosenbaum and confident like Clancy, but also brought wisdom and maturity to the role I've never seen in live-action. He almost won over Conor and me in one episode! It was really bittersweet and I hope we get more of him in the role in the future.
A little difficult.
At first, I thought Jesse Eisenberg's performance was going to be Lex Luthor's public persona. He was presenting himself as an eccentric, but that mask would be removed and then we'd see the "real" Lex Luthor. I thought it was interesting he would have his own version of the Clark Kent disguise.
But... that isn't what happened.
I remember sitting in that movie just knowing that I had figured out exactly what they were doing with the character, the whole eccentric tech billionaire persona was a "secret identity" just like Bruce and Clark's, and at the pivotal moment he would shed this persona and the ruthless Machiavellian Luthor would be revealed. Then we got that entire rooftop BS scene, needless to say by the time we got to "MARTHA" I was more than ready to completely check out. At least I wasn't alone in my disappointment 🤷
I think the goal was for him to evolve into the Lex we know after going to prison. I think it was kinda foreshadowed at the end with him going bald. Not trying to defend it but was just cautiously offering up an interpretation. 🤷🏾♂️
@@benjaminjenkins394 Yeah, unfortunately, that's an unnecessary step. Luthor should always be who he is when Superman is there. Or even earlier than Superman so that he'd own Metropolis.
@@excaliburknight1016 So you're making the case that character development is bad for Lex, while at the same time other haters criticize Snyder's characters for not having character development...WOW.
It's fine for this Lex to have an evolution while Superman was present.
He was Lex while Superman was present.
@@dignerds This particular one? Yes. Having Lex develop his villain persona later on just feels wrong. So quick with the Snyder hater too huh? Not even bothering to ask whether I liked it or not. I see your previous replies. Look, he just doesn't feel like Lex. Even before I watched any reviews on TH-cam, he felt wrong, to me.
Wacky, without care, and quite honestly, stupid. Literally got into prison in his first outing. Yes, the first Superman movie did the same thing, but again, that feels wrong. Realistically, someone as rich and influential as he is shouldn't have anything to be traced back to him. If you want a civil discussion, go on, if not, as you say, GTFOH.
John Shea in Lois and Clark in the 90's is also a great Lex Luthor. There, Lex is both a brilliant businessman who has the support of the public and law, while also being an underground criminal mastermind. Shea plays both sides of Luthor perfectly portraying him as a brilliant villain who treats life as a game where he comes out on top. Superman's appearance first intrigues Luthor as a challenge, a test of an obstacle to overcome. As the season progresses, that intrigue turns to jealousy, as Superman starts gathering the adoration of the public, which he resents, because he is no longer the big man on campus. In the end, his evil side is exposed, the billionaire do-gooder revealed to be a fraud, and the real Lex emerges to challenge Superman in Seasons 2 & 3. Really well done.
I agree, and it's such a shame that this is the only screen adaptation of the character that Nerdstalgic seemed to have forgotten. (Excluding video games and Titans)
@@danacoons4171 Everyone seems to forget Lois and Clark nowadays.
Totally agree. Shea will always be my favorite Lex Luthor unless someone else does an even better job of portraying the 'greatest of all living criminals!'
I really liked Michael Rosenbaum's depiction of Lex Luthor. Both he and the writers gave us a Lex who was complex, layered and, most importantly, conflicted.
I think it's to Rosembaum's credit that nuance was added that hadn't existed the character in previous iterations. I recently re-watched Smallville and I found myself really rooting for Lex to overcome his demons despite the fact I already knew how it would end.
"Both he and the writers gave us a Lex who was complex, layered and, most importantly, conflicted. " You mean they gave us a Lex who... wasn't Lex. Lmao, just because writers add some bs traumatic "tragic backstory" for the moral hippies to analyze doesn't mean it's good character development, Rosenbaum's Lex is literally character assassination. He deliberately removes many of the fundamental building blocks of what makes Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor in essence is a Nietzschean archetype; a self-made man propelled by his own will towards self-empowerment at all costs. He tosses aside all that doesn't help him realize his will unto the world. He is depicted as being undeterred by concepts such as morality and relationships, which contrasts perfectly against Superman who entirely defines himself according to such values.
Yet we abandon this, just to come up with some traumatized daddys boy with an emo backstory. But hey it's good bc "laYErs!" "coMpleXitY!" lmao tf
I always felt frustrated for Lex in the series because it seemed like Clark was in so many ways a punishment for him. Consider how many other heroes who were far more flexible in their morality and how differently meeting them instead of Clark might have turned out.... Think of a young professor X, the Winchesters from supernatural, older Jason Todd [with the all blades], Daredevil, and so on. They might not have agreed on everything, but they also could have learned from each other and been able to rely upon each other. It is so aggravating.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2no I mean, a boy has to grow up to reach that point.
@@OdaKa No they don't. Nietzschean men are born, not made; at least, "pure" ones are. In the comics, Lex is this way from birth; as a kid he holds himself above all others because of his intellect & abilities, he bullies people and antagonizes others whilst gloating about the things he will achieve. He hates his father for being stupid & a drunk, and hates his environment in general due to it being one of destitute poverty. At his first opportunity he kills his father & moves to Metropolis to start his own company, skipping college completely and becoming the most wealthy & powerful man on the planet of his own ability.
From the offset, Lex is a singular being out to move the world; seeing himself as innately better than everything & everyone.
But Rosenbaum's "Lex"? A worm, utterly overwhelmed by circumstance and traumatized by his petty relationships with others.
@@KevinJohnson-cv2no Your hatred of Rosenbaum's Lex is bizarre. Also, all you've described is a typical psychopathic villain. Those are a dime a dozen. It's not that interesting. A villain becoming a villain out of tragedy is way more interesting and does add more complexity to the character.
I like the Lex Luthor from Young Justice. A man who’s always three steps ahead and gets inside your mind. And could get away with practically anything.
I love the line he says to aqualad in the first season "son, if you wish to detain me contact my lawyer." Right before mercy just blast kaldur away.
@@theriderdwaft that’s Lex Luthor not the Jessie Eisenberg Lex Luthor jr. BS.
@@LuisSanchez-by7mh Because Esienberg was not playing Luthor. He’s playing Toyman. A character that would work great as a Batman vs Superman villain. He’s the Batman who was willing to kill.
@@KhanhNguyen-mh5ec The movie is a conflicting one. It wanted us to know about the source material but at the same time disconnect ourselves from it. That’s not deconstructing, it’s just an embarrassing plot contrivance. Also how did we talk about Batman now, wasn’t it about Lex Luthor?
@@LuisSanchez-by7mh Because Batman was Superman number Duos enemy in that movie until he turn coat
I thought that the best way to portray Luthor, and done well by both by Clancy Brown and Michael Rosenbaum, is that Luthor is in *the wrong story*.
He's the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," industrious boy that will change the world by his inventions and mind and the world will love him for it.
...the problem is that he's in a four-color superhero comic, not a E.E. Smith science fiction novel or a Horatio Algers novel where that works.
At some level, he realizes this, and this makes him very, very angry.
I hadn’t thought about it like that. Very well said!
He represents what a man can achieve when he accesses his full potential. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean jack compared to an all-powerful alien.
:: applauds :: Well done. This is the sort of critical inquiry I never expect to find in TH-cam comments. This is maybe the best character brief one could have. "Lex Luthor is the greatest mind of his generation, but he's in the 'wrong story,' smart enough to be self-aware of it, and it drives him mad." Well done!
Except for the fact that Rosenbaum's portrayal is horrible at depicting those central traits of Lex. He is a conniving dweeb motivated by trauma and "friendship issues", set to inherit everything from daddy. Lex is a self-made Nietzschean archetype that clawed his way out of the slums and into the most powerful position on Earth at the head of LexCorp; he's motivated purely by empowering himself and realizing his own individual will upon the world at any cost, to take these most basic building blocks from him is to make him... well, not Lex lol.
Also, Lex isn't in the wrong story; Superman himself states that a fully realized Lex will outshine & outdo him. Keep in mind he's taken The Omega Force from Darkseid before, gaining all of his powers; it's not a question of "being in an environment of superheroes", he can easily surpass them. The tragedy of his character is him being distracted by his vendetta with Superman, he doesn't simply seek to defeat him but to mar his image in the minds of all men; anything less is unworthy of him. This is where he gets distracted from his primary path of self-realization & self-empowerment.
Nicely said. It's like the episode of The Simpsons where Frank Grimes had to work for everything he had and here comes Homer Simpsons, a complete idiot who has everything and it drives him mad.
I was never a big fan of Superman or Lex Luthor, but I am a fan of Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor. His version has charisma in spades, and he could convey the character's complexity with pretty much every delivery of his lines.
1:15 “Whose greatest asset was not money, gadgets or weaponry, it was simply his mind. Luthor showed us that a mortal could stand toe to toe against a god like superman”
Kinda sounds like you described Batman in a way
Whereas Batman stands side by side with Superman and not against.
Luthor is absolutely jealous and disgusted by Superman
Batman started with a fortune so... no
Lex is alot dumber than batman with a bigger ego. Thankfully in his case superman is also dumber. Though in a 1 v 1 batman would destory lex in 5 minutes.
@@ridge825 luthor is a drama queen who thinks that having a business gives him a personality while batman is more of a soldier willing to die for his cause.
Batman and Luthor are two sides of the same coin. Replace Batman's empathy with narcissism, and you have Lex Luthor.
Incidentally, one of my favorite origins for Joker is based off that dichotomy. In Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, the characters are all high school age. Joker is a rich spoiled kid who becomes a criminal simply because he can. Similar to Thomas Elliot (Hush). He isn't crazy, he just has no restraint. He does whatever he wants because he knows he can get away with it, because he's rich. Similar to how Eisenberg played Lex. Frankly, I think he would have been a perfect Joker.
I think that Rosenbaum did a great job in Smallville. John Glover's Lionel Luther in that show was a very good addition to the show and made you understand how Lex became the ruthless person in the end. Like father like son. Eisenberg's Lex just feels like a crazy person while Rosenbaum's Lex has been a product of his father's cold way of raising his son and see life as one big business transaction. Nothing is free, people are not for making friends but for creating opportunities you can exploit, people always want something from you, business comes first - always, love and friendship is for the weak. And through the seasons you can actually see Lex growing into his role, going from the average snobby rich kid with a few friends to distancing himself more and more from the few friends he had in the beginning and turning to the corporate life, becoming cold and eventually losing the friends he had and ultimately turning against them and everybody that stands in his way. Lionel Luthor was a huge part of Lex's mindset. You see none of this with any of the other Lex Luthor versions and to be honest, Eisenberg really isn't suited to play that role, he just comes off crazy while he should be portraying a person that is a total corporate workaholic and treats everything like it was a business transaction, exactly knows what he is doing, treats life as one big chess game and he is 10 steps ahead. in other words, nothing like the crazy mumbling fool he portrayed.
Lionel also hated Lex because he thought he killed his younger brother, Julian.
You do realize that Eisenberg is playing Lex junior, completely different character than Lex of Rosenbaum, Hackman or Spacey?
You didn't understand Eisenberg's character at all. He is a man obsessed with power in that movie. And he definitely IS ten steps ahead everyone else. He hates the feeling of powerlessness that Superman's existence causes to him, and he wants nobody else to be more powerful than him. He's crazy but in a very rational way... a mad scientist-genius
@@goranmilic442 that's not true at all. In BvS's universe Lex Luthor's father was named Lex too. That doesn't change the fact that Eisenberg was THE Lex Luthor
@@Loptr-17 If his father is named Lex, then he is Lex Jr.
What people don't understand about Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor is that he was based off of the Lex Luthor from the 1930s to the 1970s in the comics. After that they made him the versions you see in popular media after that.
Exactly but that same charisma that drew people to lex is still there in later versions in Superman the animated series Lois Lane is dating lex
Nice try. I loved Hackman's Luthor. But he's not very much like the Golden/Silver Age Luthor (who wasn't charismatic; he was notoriously fat, boring, and humorless).
@@Scipio488 Was Hackman's Luthor charismatic? After all, he only had two followers, one of whom was a complete liability.
@@PotrzebieConolly I'd say so. He was able to get General Zod and his cronies to listen to him and promise him an entire continent to rule in exchange for Superman. He only ever had Otis around to make him feel smarter in comparison because he was egotistical, and its not confirmed but I'm like 99% sure Tessbacher was his fling he kept around, beyond that Luthor didn't need more people around him.
Hackman's Luthor is underrated in that he plays a camp Luthor perfectly. He's not a serious villain like you'd find in a Nolan movie, but he's not an over-the-top joke like Eisenberg's Luthor. He's funny and makes you laugh, but his threat to Superman is never downplayed, he's able to juggle both and I think that's largely a testament to Gene Hackman being such a good actor. He was perfect for what the Reeve movies were going for.
I felt you threw Jon Cryer's Lex under the bus. Jon did a serviceable version of Lex that worked under the constraints of modern TV. IMO, did a great job redeeming his former appearance from way back in Superman 3 and Jon showed he can do much more than the dreck from Two and a Half Men.
He was actually Lenny Luthor in Superman 4: The Quest for Peace (not 3).
@@GetToDaChoppa-k5r we don't talk about 3...
You missed John Shea as Luthor in Lois and Clark. I thought he played the mogul version of him really well. With jealosy of Superman as his prime motivation.
Agreed. It's unfortunate the whole Lois and Clark series has mostly disappeared.
He also missed Titus Welliver from *Titans* season 4. I was a bit skeptical, but the scenes we've seen of him were 100% Lex Luthor©
Jon Cryer also deserved more than a passing mention and a "he doesn't have the presence"...
He's my favorite live action Lex, neck to neck with Michael Rosenbaum.
He did it just to bad we only got 2 full seasons with him
@@randallflagg3700 John cryer to me can’t sell the hatred of kryptonian that Jesse shea Hackman did he did show on two and a half men that he could play having a dark side but lex isn’t just someone with a dark side
John Shea doesn’t get enough credit for that absolutely brilliant portrayal of Luthor.
I think Jon Cryer is the best live action Lex Luthor. I can’t wait to see him as the villian in the new Superman show so much. Hackman is a verrry close second, and his portrayal is beautiful to watch. He’s loving the character…and it shows.
Glad to see another fan of Jon Cryer's Lex. Now that S&L split from the Arrowverse they can go with anyone but I really hope he's recast.
@@AshtonM99 Yeah, I like his version a lot. He elevated those seasons of Supergirl for me
@@AshtonM99 it’s not split it’s still part of the arrowverse
It’s called arrowverse not arrowEARTH
@@madnessarcade7447 Well, you know what I meant.
@@madnessarcade7447Well the Arrowverse is a singular universe so it is split from the Arrowverse since they won’t have any crossovers.
Love this! Lex Luthor has always been one of my favorite villains. Michael Rosenbaum was incredible! It’s a shame that the character hasn’t been done justice in the big screen
Sad to see no mention of John Shea's performance in the 90s Lois & Clark series - which, in my book, also has the best Superman in live-action, due to the extensive focus on Clark Kent.
That series really didn’t get enough love. I also thought that version of Superman was one of the top 3 live action portrayals. The way he would completely change his speech and mannerisms when going from Clark to Superman really sold the disguise beyond just throwing on a pair of glasses.
That was the best live-action superman in my opinion
Funny that Jon Cryer plays Lex Luthor in Supergirl. He played Lex's nephew in Superman-Quest for Peace. I'm sure that was intentional on the production's part.
Looks like this channel noticed that too 3:48
@@ejgoldlust Lol, I was listening to this in the background at work and missed that. Thanks.
Talk about an upgrade
You missed John Shea as Luther in Lois & Clark. Season 1 of that show may be the best Luther we have seen on screen. Charismatic, manipulative, and a Machiavellian villain who knows how look like a good guy.
The worlds meanest yuppie
Eh, I feel like Cryer, Rosenbaum and even Titans and the old Superboy tv show Lex did the character better in a lot of ways in comparison. John Shea was a great Lex but I don’t know about best
Just came here to post that as well but as always, other commenters like you beat me to it. Kudos… thanks
Clancy Brown will forever be my favourite Lex 😊
John Shea is a really under rated live action Luthor. At least in season one of Lois and Clark.
I've always liked Gene Hackman's performance as Lex Luthor but then again that is more than likely just my bias opinion having grown up with that Lex Luthor.
He was a great Silver/Bronze age Lex Luthor. He would be destroyed by post-crisis eras Luthor.
What people always miss about Jessie Eisenberg is that when he is introduced he refers to his father as Lex Luther... so this is the son of the original character we know.
I felt he was playing Alexander Luthor, the Earth 3 guy from Crisis on Infinite Earths
One of my favorite moments of lex Luther happened in young justice. Even though he has a hatred for Superman and wants him gone he was will to work with him and the others when it came to protecting his planet.
I think Spacey came the very closest to Luthor as he *should* be in one very specific scene, but outside of that, I never really thought any on-screen actor ever did him justice; only the DCAU did.
Spacey was so close to greatness in Superman Returns, in fact I'd say the entire movie was almost perfect, but fell short in ways that made it less then the sum of its parts.
On paper, Lex's plan is to use Superman's own Birthright, (which he only knows how to use because of a hologram of Superman's father) to destory the world, killing billions, just so he can remake it in his image, and that image will convey the utter distain Lex has for superman by being made out of kriptonite, a substance that rejects superman on a fundamental, atomic, level.
Lex Luther would rather reign in hell than serve mankind alongside Superman, it's extremely poetic and all the crueler and more dastardly because of it, also he stabs superman with a kriptonite shiv like they're on some fucking prison yard. It's metal as fuck.
It always saddens me that John Shea pretty much never gets mentioned when people list off Lex Luthor portrayals.
Yeah and Billy Zane has never been casted
I agree, he is one of, and if not, the most overlooked of the Luthor actors. While the scientific genius was not used to a certain extent, and he wasn't necessarily bald except for one time, Shea's version was charismatic, sophisticated, athletic, cunning, petty, and ruthless. He hated Superman, and saw his need to defeat him as the ultimate challenge. His version's unique obsession to win over Lois Lane actually proved his downfall. Had it not been for that, he probably would have killed Superman and ruled the world.
@@srstriker6420 Billy Zane should have been Lex in BvS. Willing to bet all the stuff this video discusses would have shown through in his performance.
Agreed
The moment they shaved his head, he started feeling like a caricature of Lex.
Before the Batman vs Superman movies, i always envisioned Mark Strong playing Lex Luthor, he was already bald, intimidating and highly intelligent and deadly. Of course that idea went out the window when he played the Villain of Shazam, which he did great btw.
I love many of these Luthors, but Brown's is the voice I hear when I read a Superman comic.
The review of Rosenbaum here completely misses the mark. His version of Lex Luthor remains the best in TV/Film to date. Limited only by the fact that the show ended with Clark's full transition to Superman
Clancy's voice is heroic. Whether he's slinging patties or catching brain bugs, he's a hero.
"not just charming but able to win people over"
That's what charming is
Kevin Spacey was honestly they play. I'm surprised that didn't work out better since he seems like he'd match the character so well.
I'll go the other direction, and give an example of the live-action accomplishing what animation or comic could never... Magneto.
Regardless of how you feel about the big picture story, those silent, slightly lingering closeups on Ian McKellen's eyes convey more of the sadness, isolation, and rage that drives everything else, than thousands of words could ever do.
I must give credit to the entire direction and editing team, to make the most of Ian's efforts. But nobody else could have given us, what Ian managed to in those quiet moments.
agreed! and hes playing magneto one more time in deadpool 3
Thinking about this, with my actor and improviser hat on, I think the best path to portraying Lex Luthor on screen would be to play the character with a lot more subtlety than has generally been the case. As fun as it is for an actor, and the temptation is delicious, whoever plays him should avoid any scene chewing or grandstanding. He needs to be easily likable and someone the audience doesn't just want to empathize with, but almost can't avoid it. For that reason, it would be a great boon for someone who is already well liked to play Luthor.
To that end, I propose the best possible casting of an actor to play Lex Luthor would be.... Tom Hanks!!!
Great video. To this day the animated DCAU lex Luther is my definite Luther. He was done so perfectly in those shows, that I’m shocked the live action films didn’t just take inspiration from that. PS I’ve always wanted billy Zane to play Lex Luther.
The thing that really makes lex work is that his opposition to superman is deeply personal, even in stories where they've never met, or Lex isn't yet fully villainous.
The precise reasons vary, but every memorable Lex is one where Superman is the bug under his skin, rather than just an opponent.
Funny enough, there's a fanfic version of Luthor worth looking at as well. For a time, there was an effort to create all sorts of rationalist fanfiction (inspired by the success of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality). One of those stories presented a Luthor who, while still criminal, was also a rationalist. In it, he decided that Superman needed to die the second he presented himself to the world, a choice stemming not from envy but instead fear and a small amount of selflessness. His thinking was that, the greater the power available to a man, the greater the good will necessary to prevent him from misusing it. In the case of Superman, Luthor didn't believe that level of goodwill possible, and the eventual consequences catastrophic. So, Luthor took a man clandestine approach to root out a way to end this potential threat to humanity.
Honestly, it's kind of a blend of Luthor's and Waller's frames of mind, but it's a fascinating bit of characterization.
"The Metropolitan Man" is indeed well worth a read.
@@c99kfm Thank you! I honestly could not remember the name of the story. I only know about it because the podcast responsible for HPMOR's audiobook adaptation went on to adapt Metropolitan Man along with a few other rationalist works
Sounds like this is what they TRIED to do in BvS with Batman. Just goes to show how much they messed up with that movie, when Batman's motivation is more in line with motivation fitting Luthor.
Outside of the comics, JLU did the best job portraying Lex (even w/ the confines of being a "kids" cartoon). Other than that, the Smallville show did a good job of showing his humanity, (by giving a great portrayal of his friendship w/ Clark/Superman), but it was focused on making him more of an "anti-hero" than a vilain. The live-action versions of Lex, because they made him too much of a mad-scientist, as opposed to a cunning strategist. Lex should always be able to wiggle his way out of anything, & he should never be able to really be caught, or even charged w/ anything. He should be more like Batman, but instead of being "unbeatable" because of planning & strategy, he should also be a gifted strategist, but also be able to think on his feet when those plans fall thru. Ironically DC should take a cue from Marvel & try to portray Lex more like Dr. Doom, in terms of personality (just in a less noble & less flamboyant manner). And Lex should be charming & charismatic, & never "socially awkward". Giving him a powersuit, would help in his live-action portrayals too. He should be able to pose a physical threat to Superman w.o always having to bust out Kryptonite & have Supes drop to his knees, anticlimactically. They should fly around, fight & wreck the city, like Supes did w/ Zod. And their dynamic should be framed as Lex is extremely xenophobic, but he argues that he's saving the planet from invading "aliens". That could be a metaphor for our own "border crisis", as well as the Kryptonian invasion. Just play off of what happened in JLU to form Project Cadmus.
Well said. The Cadmus arc raised Luther from a villain to a super villain. I mean he literally became a god for 5 seconds
I agree with most of your points, but you can't really write Lex as uncatchable and still have him fighting Superman in a mech suit throughout the city. Everyone would immediately know he's a bad guy, unless you just have the public hate Supes.
@@Cobra_125 You say that but its entirely believable that with a bit of spin you could brush such things under the rug. At worst you could frame it as a misunderstanding or a disagreement between "gods" and most of humanity would likely go along with it enough to accept it and forget.
Michael Rosenbaum is hands down my favorites Lex. He’s the only villain I’ve ever rooted for just based on how much he endeared himself to the audience, much like his relationship with Clark- seeing him become a villain overtime is honestly heartbreaking as an audience member
I think it's also worth mentioning that Michael Rosenbaum plays a great version of the Flash in the DCAU as well. IMO the DCAU sets the standard for just about every DC character that it features.
Askelad from Vinland saga. Definitely one of the greatest villians I’ve seen in terms of charisma and relatability. SERIOUSLY if you haven’t heard of him, just watch clips of him and you’ll understand.
I think a Lex Luthor story that would be interesting to explore is Lexor
It’s an entire planet full of people that adore and worship him, where he settles down and actually has a happy family until Superman accidentally destroys it and that has the potential to be a really interesting story
In the comics you have superman who is alien, but with the heart moral, compassionate human. Then you have lex-luthor who is the opposite of this. But something that the movies never captured was that Lex Luthor is basically the perfect human specimen in every other aspect. He's strong, smart, successful. He's basically perfect in everyway except that he's a complete psychopath.
In the movies they've always made casting choices that highlight lex luthors wit, drive, and ruthlessness. But the've never had an actor that also has the physical presence in my opinion.
Meeting lex luthor in real life should feel like meeting someone who you know is smarter, stronger, and more successful than you will ever be, yet you idolize and love the guy because he's perfectly charismatic and know just what to say to get you to do what he wants.
The animated Luthor from the Justice League show is the best the character has ever been.
I gotta say that John Cryer's recent portrayal on Supergirl and Crisis on Infinite Earths is the best I've seen since Hackman. Guy has some serious chops.
Would have loved to see commentary on John Shea's performance in Lois and Clark. I particularly remember liking him as Lex Luthor, but I was a child and it was the 90s. It's probably aged poorly, but I would have loved a commentary on it against the other performances.
Same. I rarely see vids when comparing superman characters across movies or series, Lois and Clark mentioned. It would be interesting to go back and watch a few episodes.
I think it has aged well. I have the seasons on DVD and do a watch-through about once a year (Lois and Clark was one of my favorite shows as a kid and by far my favorite live action Superman show - I never could get into Smallville, even though I was a teen at the time, and never understood the hype). John Shea, I think, embodies Lex Luthor to a T, especially in Season 1. They should have used him more throughout the rest of the series because he was a fantastic villain, but I believe they were working within John Shea's scheduling constraints. Oh, well. I still think it's a great show and also has, in my opinion, the absolute best Clark and Superman.
I like Gene Hackman and John Shea, but I'm biased since I grew up in the 80s and 90s and those where the 2 guys who played Luthor. Gene Hackman played Lex in the 80s Donner/Reeve movies, and John Shea gave a criminally underrated performance as a business tycoon version of Luthor on the 90s Lois&Clark TV show. Hackman did add more comedy to the role, but he really was the first superhero movie villain for the big screen, so he didn't have much to go by except those Adam West campy Batman villains. Thankfully Donner reeled Hackman in but there was a real evil and menace to Hackman's Luthor, but I thought he was genuinely funny too. Remember when Zod says "Jor-El!? Our jailer!!??" and Hackman's Luthor responds "No Jor-El the baseball player!, Yes Jor-El your jailer".
Michael Rosenbaum is the BEST live action Lex Luthor hands down! I think he should be the next Lex Luthor going forward in movies
IMO, the best portrayals of Luthor capture the projection aspect of his character. He claims to hate Superman because he could destroy/rule us at a whim. Luthor hates himself because deep down it's what he would do in a second if he had that power and projects that onto Supes. Superman is a living reminder to Luthor's that his intelligence and strength of will is always superseded by his greed.
DCAU Luthor and Red Son Luthor are my two favourite itterations of the character.
I wish someone would film Red Son Superman in live action just to see Luthor’s introductory scene
Red Son Luthor is, hands down, my favorite. It exemplifies what Luthor CAN be if he wasn’t mired in Jealousy.
My favorite version of Lex was Smallville. It feel like silver/Bronze Age (specifically Elliot S. Maggin Lex) , a sympathetic monster raised by Post Crisis Lex. I think Gene Hackman Lex was that is felt like a Bond villain with elements of Golden Age Lex (a man more interested in world domination and using science for power than simple schemes) and seemed to be a perfect template for early Byrne Lex. Eisenberg Lex seemed to have all potential (mixing modern comics Lex and real world Silicon Valley billionaires) but it wasn’t given space to be properly fleshed out unfortunately. DCAU Lex is amazing because we saw him as a post crisis billionaire CEO in STAS, Mad Scientist super villain in JL, potential president and he had the space to have his personality to be fleshed out and develop.
Having Lionel on Smallville was pretty brilliant. It let Clark match wits with not only the younger Lex who could be his friend, but also what amounted to a darker, more established/powerful version of the character. It let them do a more gradual slide into villainy for Lex himself since from a writing perspective Lionel took off a lot of pressure to make Lex 'evil' as quickly as possible. Also, Lionel serving as a foil for Lex gave him more to do and allowed for those stories where Clark gets caught between them and has to untangle what's going on. In addition, the Lex-Lionel relationship allowed for contrasts with Clark's relationships with both Jonathan and Jor-El as well as allowing for a deeper range of backstory connections going back a generation.
@@MythicFox I fully agree with all that, not to mention it allowed the viewers to get a glimpse of the potential evil that Lex could become (if not worse) as well as an explanation of why Lex was the way he is. (Instead of just how BvS Lex saying it in his monologue in the first meeting with Superman). Lionel (or specifically Lex’s father) being abusive and alienating Lex was always a big point in the comic since the Elliot S Maggin’s comics, but Smallville was the first time we actually visually saw how big of an impact it had on the younger Luthor . I think it really did justice to the nature vs nurture and how big of an impact people can have on one’s journey that Smallville tried to tell.
Can’t believe you left out John Shea’s Luthor. Would love to hear your analysis of his portrayal as it is probably my favorite.
It's been a while but the Lex from Young Justice was a badass and done really well from what I remember
That's a common theme that Justice League/JLU has the best incarnations of characters.
Let Clancy Brown do it on the big screen, not only was he amazing but the age difference between him and Cavill would work wonders emphasizing Lex's opinion of Superman.
"All Star Superman" Lex really takes the cake for me. I liked Titus Welliver's Lex in Titans recently
I haven't read the comic, but if you mean the movie adaptation, I can definitely agree. Top 3 onscreen Lexes along with DCAU and Smallville. Doesn't have nearly as much screentime though so I'd place him at #3.
I love that scene and how they adapted that panel because it truly depicts Luthor's greatest hubris, his own ego. He has long believed that Superman should not exist as no man should have that level of power and yet remain good. It's in his human nature, pure cynicism that he believes that after a traumatic childhood where he had to pull himself up to sore as high as powerful as he has become, seeing Superman gave him the belief that if humanity depends on a being like that then humanity will lose reliance on themselves which is a fascinating motivation that that scene explores. For one moment Lex was Superman, and when he was able to get a glimpse of everything he could do, and when Superman gives him an epiphany, we see him breakdown realising that if he truly cared about humanity if he was so self-reliant and humble with power, he could have saved the world years ago. What makes it even more compelling is that he admits it, to Superman himself, and Lex Luthor is a man too self-righteous to ever admit when he's wrong.
He takes forty cakes
What we need is an adaptation of Superman All Star.
Or atleast one that takes the core elements from that story.
I really feel like it shows the best parts of Both Clark and Lex's characters.
I liked the discussion and analysis of the different versions of Luthor. I would have also liked to see your take on the Luthor from Lois and Clark which is my personal favourite. I liked how he was never directly involved in whatever scheme was playing out but it was all his design. I also liked that he was interested in the finer things in life but also had that jealousy.
Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor is the best and my favorite. Regarding Eisenberg's Luthor...at first I hated his interpretation. But after reading the comic BIRTH RIGHT, I understood this version of Lex. And after rewatching, BVS again more than two times, I actually liked Eisenbergs Lex and realized it was more close to the earliest comics; where he's depicted as a mad, unhinged scientist. And after reading Birthright, there were a lot of similarities.
But what I liked about Eisenberg's Lex was his upfront, fearless ego. There were several moments where Superman could've burned him, but I think this version of Lex was by far the most unhinged and fearless. And by fearless, he wasn't even flinching even in the face of Doomsday.
Nevertheless, I prefered the Smalleville version of Lex....for obvious reasons. There's so many layers and depth to him.
I actually really enjoyed Young Justice's take on Luthor (voiced by Mark Rolston), granted it's definitely not as fleshed out as his JL:AS appearances. I feel like they really nailed down a good balance with his charisma, manipulation, and intelligence, and having him play such a heavy role with the Kon-el storyline allowed for you to have that unhealthy envious relationship with Superman without it becoming specifically a Lex and Superman story.
Some great points in here. The motivation for Lex’s hatred of Superman has yet to be fully explored in live action. He’s possibly the greatest super villain because of his capabilities and reasons for being evil. He has the classic case of hero syndrome and Superman takes that away from him. He’s the most powerful man on earth yet one “Super” man will always have what he wants despite him not even being a real man in Luthor’s eyes.
We wanted Heisenberg and what we got was Eisenberg...
Also, Rosenbaum is THE GOAT
YES HE IS
I feel so bad for John Shea. He was charming, and his Lex Luthor always outsmarted Superman (well, much of the time). Yet, no one remembers him.
Lex Luthor is the embodiment of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
But all of it wasted on a petty vendetta.
Absolute crime that you left John Shea off of this list. Both him and that show are very underrated as far as Superman TV goes
My favorite depiction was Kevin Spacey's portrayal in Superman Returns.
The irritating thing about the Jesse Eisenberg Luther, is that script for Luther is OK with a good monologue in the film, but Jesse was not the actor who could do them justice.
Well first, I'm surprised you didn't even mention Lois & Clark's Lex, which is one of the better on-screen portrayals. What he and Rosenbaum's performances captured was Lex's charm. You could believe that people who don't really know him think him a good person.
I had reservations when Jon Cryer got cast as Lex on Supergirl, but he proved to be the best Luthor on TV since Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville and Clancy Brown on S:TAS.
I’d argue in general but exactly you get it
I think Lex in his best form is when in addition to his cunning mind and determination is the "flaw" that he is a Human Supremacist... In a world of super-powered aliens and not-quite human heros, being someone who believes wholeheartedly in the supremacy of human beings makes for an intriguing antagonist.
Eisenberg: So who is, Lex, as a character?
Snyder: Max Landis?
Rosenbaum's Lex is by far my favorite. Such nuance and depth - not to mention an insane character arc - that isn't in many characters, much less villains, much less Lex Luthors in modern day.
Michael Rosenbaum from Smallville was the best real life action: old money - aristocrat, raised by his father not to love but to excel at everything; obsess with superman, but ultimately, obsessed with the idea of himself becoming superman
Worst one by far was Kevin Spacey's, although it was ultimately Singers fault who didnt portray a serious lex luthor, but a hollywood-esque cartoonish version of Luthor
Clancy Brown and Gene Hackman nailed it so hard, snd it feels like nobody has really come close since.
Agree with you 100% about Clancy Brown's DCAU Luthor. But I think you're selling Smallville short, Michael Rosenbaum is a fantastic Luthor. As is Lois & Clark's John Shea!
Also, it's Christopher Reeve. No S. ;)
I always pictured The Rock or Mark Strong as Lex. Someone at the peak of human conditioning mentally and physically. Someone that everyone admired until Superman came along and proved that no matter what he could never measure up to Superman. That’s what makes him spiral into madness.
The rock is a horrible choice
Corey Stoll
@@rebel2191 you really think so? Why?
@@MrLazerCatt wooooooow. He would be good too.
Michael Rosenbaum's Lex was the best hands down.
That comment about Luthor being an attainable way of living, but falling short because he hasn't got the same moral center Supes does, made me realize why I like versions of Luthor where he is arguably a good, or goodish, guy. Luthor from Red Son and Luthor from Injustice come to mind; there is something really cathartic about seeing Luthor at least trying to get over himself.
Lol So you like bad versions of Superman lol
Honestly not really? I think mostly because they've been done to death by now. I do like me some good guy Luthors tho.
@@dividendjohnson4327 Yeah conveniently you like good like Lex when Superman is the bad guy of the story. Literally every arch enemy is the opposite of the hero.
What about Luthor from God and Monster?
This was awesome, thanks for the breakdown of Lex Luthor. I am so glad I found this.
Gene hackman is fantastic in that first superman movie. However I definitely love both Clancy Brown and Michael Rosenbaum too. The main problem area is with the movies. I do hope one day there will be a new Superman movie with a great Lex Luthor again but at least we'll always have Smallvile and the DCAU.
Luthor in his prime in Smallville was amazing
Man, when you hear Clancy's deep, commanding voice next to Eisenburg's squeaky southern Baptist manchild performance it is JARRING.
Jon Cryer's Lex was played pretty well.
I really would have liked to see Idris Elba as Lex Luther and his public image would have been philanthropist and tech genius but in reality he never cared for people but loved the attention, he would have been on the cover of every magazine until Superman shows up and takes his thunder, Lex invents and cures and works hard for a body everybody envy’s and Superman Is born with everything
The animated justice league series has the best Lex Luthor. 😇
Thats the gold standard.
Didn't hurt that they got Clancy Brown, a very well-rounded actor, to play the part. He could go from smug, to charming, to menacing in a single scene and not feel forced.
Mark Rolston’s Lex in Young Justice also deserves a shoutout.
I'd recommend taking a second look at Luthor from the SuperFriends: Full of venom and fantastic plans, great costume too!
An excellent Luthor. Growing up, his was the one I always thought Gene Hackman's version would eventually become within his future.
Warner Brothers you f*cked up! Ben Aflac was bad enough. But Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther!? WTAF!! Thanks for letting him portray one of the greatest super villians ever as a squeeky-geeky, teeny bopper- basket case! Good job! Hope he was cheap.
Billy Zane needs to portray the next Lex Luthor.
Honestly my favorite depictions have to JLA's Lex Luthor,Lois and Clark's Lex Luthor,And Certainly Smallville's Lex Luthor!! Lois and Clark:The New Adventures of Superman truly made me scared as a kid bc he managed to hurt Clark and almost married Lois!! He was so terrifying thanks to his wealth and intelligence! His death was pretty cool bc he sacrificed himself to save Lois Lane,the only person he truly loved(even though it was his own fault lol!)
I think the only part Kevin Spacey's Luthor may have had going for him was that his character did physically look much like Luthor
I think the problem with that movie was they where trying to make a sequel to Superman 2. So few actors in that movie got to shine because they could never live up to the actors they where emulating. Think if they made a stand alone story that had nothing to do with the movies before it, then it would have been much better.
the lex we got was spot on for how a billionaire with an ego and an inferiority complex might act. because we can see how they act right now by turning on the news.
John Shea was a very very underrated Lex Luthor.