After rewatching the previous 10 live-action movies that came before theDCU’sSuperman, I know exactly why Lex Luthor had to be the main villain of the 2025 movie. The DCU’sSupermanfilm features a number of antagonists, including Ultraman and one colossal kaiju monster, but Lex Luthor is the central antagonist the story revolves around.
This is by no means new territory for Luthor, but with so many other possible villains Superman could have chosen from, the decision did raise questions about why Lex specifically had been selected. Having rewatched all thelive-action Superman moviesthat came before DCU’sSuperman, I feel the reasoning behind this is now especially clear to me, and especially wise-looking.
Nicholas Holt’s Lex Luthor Is The Newest In A Huge Roster Of Actors Who’ve Played The DC Villain
The DCU’s Lex Luthor Is Following Up On Many Previous Movie Versions Of The Character
Nicholas Holt’s Lex Luthor joins along line of live-action Lex Luthorsvia his performance in the 2025Supermanmovie. Naturally, this roster includes not only the film world, but also the world of television - and includes an assortment of voice actors who’ve played the character in animated releases.
This plays a big part in what makes Nicholas Hoult’s version of the antagonist so notable. That’s true both in the sense that Holt follows in the footsteps of iconic versions of Lex Luthor like Gene Hackman and Michael Rosenbaum’s iterations, and in terms of his Luthor building on what came before while also being his own unique take on the villain.
However, the DCU starting off with Lex Luthor has raised some questions, since Luthor is such a common villain for live-action Superman movies to use, despite the hero having a wide array of antagonists to use instead. Looking back at the Man of Steel’s movie history, though, it’s clear why this approach was taken.
The DCU Movie Arguably Needed Lex Luthor To Be Superman’s Central Villain Based On The Hero’s Entire Film History
DC’s Movie History With Lex Luthor Shows Why The DCU’s Superman Needed Holt’s Villain
Of the 10 Superman-focused live-action movies Superman has starred in over the years - including the Superman film serials, which released in weekly segments - 5 feature Lex Luthor as a central villain in the film. That said,Superman IIdoes see Lex take a backseat to Zod and his Kryptonian allies until they begin working together.
However,Atom Man Vs Superman, 1978’sSuperman,Superman IV, andSuperman Returnsall feature Luthor as their main, primary villain. While this does speak to Luthor having had a fair amount of movie screentime, said history also underlines the reasons the DCU’sSupermanneeded Lex Luthor as its own flagship villain.
1948
1950
Superman and the Mole Men
1951
1954
1978
1980
1983
No (Though Ross Webster is very similar)
1987
2006
2013
No (Though Lex Luthor debuts in Batman V Superman)
Luthor’s ties to Superman work effectively and consistently to depict Kal-El at his most heroic, since the pair are often shown as perfect opposites. This is as true for the likes ofAtom Man Vs SupermanandSuperman: The Movieas it is forthe DCU timelinewith 2025’sSuperman, since all of these releases lean into how Luthor’s shadowy schemes and inventions contrast with Superman’s honest and straightforward heroism.
Additionally, it seems Lex Luthor was so well-established that, much like 2025’sSuperman, 1950’sAtom Man Vs Supermancenters on an established Superman and Lex Luthor rivalry, without focusing too much on how this initially came to be. This demonstrates the lack of setup Luthor needs compared to other villains, and how long the interest in their rivalry has existed.
With all this said, it’s also worth considering how this cinematic history plays a role in Lex’sSupermandebut.Since almost every Superman - or at least every era of Superman - has gotten its own major Lex Luthor story, it stands to reason the DCU kicking things off with its own cements the 2025 film as the start of a new agein a major way.
I’m Excited To See How The DCU’s Lex Luthor Builds On The Villain’s Movie History
Lex Luthor’s Movie Past & Present Builds A Fascinating-Looking Future
Nicholas Holt’s Lex Luthor has similarities with many other versions of the iconic DC villain. He’s got Gene Hackman’s snark, the inventing skills of Lyle Talbot’s take on the antagonist, the bitterness of Michael Cudlitz’Superman & Loisvillain, and the talent for line delivery that made Michael Rosenbaum and Clancy Brown’s Luthors so lastingly beloved.
However, the DCU version of the antagonist is also a distinct and unique take on Lex Luthor at the same time. This balancing of fresh story faucets - like Lex creating Ultraman and giving The Engineer powers - alongside making Holt’s Luthor feel like a true comic book villain is a potent mix, and one that’s set to grow better with time.
Now we already have a version of Lex Luthor who can create black holes and interdimensional prisons, the future seems essentially limitless in terms of what the DC Universe could do with the villain’s storylines. With almost a century of comic stories to draw from, it’s hard to not be excited about this prospect.
Hopefully, the DC Universe will feature return appearances from Holt’s Luthor, which can further embrace the character’s on-screen history even as the franchise builds towards a new future. However, even in a scenario whereSupermanwas the last time we saw this Lex Luthor, the decision to have him begin Superman’s DCU journey would still make a lot of sense.
