SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Reveals Some Of His Comic Book Influences For Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor (2024)

@OmegaBlack13 - @OmegaBlack13 - What makes him his opposite? Luthor's “super power” is his intelligence but it is not like Superman is not intelligent. Also the fact that Luthor cannot match up to Superman physically means they have to invent a power suit.

A lot of people, when asking the question who would win between Superman and Batman don't think that there is a question that Superman would win unless you contrive some out of this world reason why Batman would win. Batman - like Luthor - is a genius, billionaire. So if he cannot defeat Superman under normal circumstances, then neither can Luthor.

@Forthas - it makes sense that the second or third richest man in the world, mired in international crime, would have a natural disdain for the most physically powerful man in the world, if the most physically powerful man were morally upright and unable to be bought or bribed.

Lex is one of the best villains of all time and perfect for Superman.

@Forthas - Well, simply put, he's much richer, much smarter, and more amoral than those guys.

Lex is like Elon Musk and Larry Fink combined.

@Forthas - Batman would have no problem beating the shit out of Lex Luthor and locking him up in Arkham. That's easy for him. As for Superman, IT IS A PROBLEM.

He is aware of the power he holds and the responsibility, meaning with all the flying, super strength, speed, it literally means nothing against brain. Superman can't just pummel him, he can't just burn through his skull with his laser vision, because in the end that would make him what Lex always saw and and prove Lex right if Superman were to act offensively.

The battle between Superman and Lex Luthor goes beyond mere good vs. evil—it’s a battle of ideals, where Luthor tries to prove that human willpower and intellect are stronger than alien abilities, while Superman constantly disproves Luthor's cynicism about humanity.

For Luthor, it’s not just about defeating an enemy—it’s about proving the superiority of humanity (and, by extension, himself) over something as seemingly perfect as Superman.

I can go on for houses to why this is, but again if you actually READ Superman comics, you would understand why Lex is a Superman villain and not a Batman villain. Man of Steel Lex Luthor actually dives further into this, but again you don't read Superman comics obviously.

@Forthas - The clash between Superman and Luthor, is compelling because it pits a superpowered alien against a mortal man who refuses to bow to someone he sees as superior. Luthor is obsessed with being the dominant force in the world, which is why he targets Superman—an omnipotent figure whom he feels he must conquer to prove his superiority.

Your point is that since both are rich, but you forget the fact that Batman is pragmatic and goal-oriented, focusing on the practical aspects of fighting crime and protecting Gotham. He wouldn’t be as emotionally invested in proving Luthor wrong in the way Superman is because Batman is less concerned with public image or philosophical debates. His focus is on getting the job done, not winning an ideological struggle. This would make Batman vs Lex boring.

To Luthor, Superman represents the ultimate power and the ultimate obstacle—someone beyond human comprehension or control. Defeating Superman would be the ultimate proof of Luthor’s superiority. Batman, while formidable, does not represent this same kind of all-encompassing challenge. As a fellow human, Batman is someone Luthor could potentially defeat with strategy and resources, but defeating Superman requires more than just smarts—it’s about proving that human potential can surpass even god-like power.

Yes, you point out two Superman villains that Superman has to punch his way through most of the time, where as with Lex Superman CAN'T just punch his way through. That is the point! Also like to point out while Superman isn't a dumb guy, he is intelligent. But Lex, is far more superior and has proven he is from time and time again.

Simply put, Lex is a HUMAN, and the hero is a GOD. It's literally reverse David vs Goliath.

@harryba11zack -

😂😂😂

Cool!!.

I can see him having a bit of the mad scientist tendencies that the 50’s & 60’s version of Lex has had with the complexities & motivation of the All Star & Azzarello takes which sounds good to me.

@HOTSHOT - still the best live action Lex

Jon Cryer being a close second for me.

Given he says these are some of his influences for this version of Lex , I’m interested to see what the full ones are?

I can see the DCAU take being one of those aswell since Gunn is a fan.