Lex Luthor is one of the most iconic bad people of pop culture. Unlike many comics antagonists, it has no superpowers: its strength is in intelligence, luck and influence.
Over the decades, Lex Luthor was played by several actors in cinema and television, each of which brought their vision to the character. From the most comic and eccentric tone to the cold and corporate versions inspired by the modern magnate, the villain has gained more faces.
Subsequently, we remember the most surprising interpreters of LEX Live-Live-Action.
9 actors who played Lex Luthor
Lex luthor on TV
John Shea-Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
In the series with Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, John Shea has experienced a fascinating, elegant and manipulative lex Luthor. This version of the villain showed up as a respected entrepreneur, but with dark intentions.
Shea printed the refinement and a romantic touch to the interpretation, even maintaining a relationship with Lois Lane. It was one of the first television versions showing Lex as a modern magnate, as well as a classic Superman enemy.
Michael Rosenbaum-Smalville (2001-2011)
One of the most famous interpretations, Michael Rosenbaum has given an unprecedented depth to the character of “Smallville”. Clark Kent’s friend in his youth, Lex has been shown as someone divided between the search for good and his growing obsession with power.
Sereno, cold and calculating, Lex de Rosenbaum won fans exploring the gradual transformation of a man vulnerable into a villain. To date, many consider it the best television version of the character.
Jon Cryer-Supergirl and Arrowverse (2019-2021)
In “Arrowverse”, Lex Luthor was lived by Jon Cryer (more famous for “two and a half men”), who brought a more classic interpretation, near the comics: a brilliant and manipulative scientist and obsessed with defeating not only Superman but also Supergirl.
By appearing in Supergirl and in the crossover “Crisis in the Infinite Lands”, Cryer played a villain of acidic language and calculating Tom, very different from the comics that have marked his career. This reinvention was well welcomed by the public, consolidating its version as one of the most faithful to the original material.
Titus Welliver – Titans (2022)
In “Titani”, Lex Luthor emerges as an older man, on his 60s, with a long beard and a austere position.
The character here is someone with a past of friendship and rivalry with Superman, as well as a crucial role in Conner’s life, Superboy. This version has a darker and more realistic lex, in tune with the mature tone of the series.
Michael Cudlitz-Superman & Lois (2021-2024)
In the “Superman & Lois” series, Michael Cudlitz took on the role of Lex Luthor. Here, the villain appears as a pragmatic, intelligent and extremely dangerous man, but with shades that make it more human.
The series takes place in a reality parallel to the arrow, this lex is explored as a central antagonist, offering both physical and psychological challenges to Superman.
Lex luthor at the cinema
Gene Hackman – Superman: The Movie (1978) and sequences
The great Star Gene Hackman was the first to create Lex Luthor in cinemas, facing Christopher Reeve in four films. Its version was arrogant, extravagant and even comic, mixing humor with evil.
Hackman’s interpretation established the foundations for the popularity of the character in the cinema and has become a reference for the following generations.
Kevin Spacey – Superman Returns (2006)
Almost three decades later, Kevin Spacey played Lex Luthor in “Superman Returns”. Its version had a strong inspiration from Gene Hackman, since the film worked as a sort of spiritual continuation of the Christopher Reeve saga.
Spacey’s Lex, however, was darker and more cruel, bringing more seriousness to the character and reducing the part of the comic tone of the hackman era.
Jesse Eisenberg – Batman vs. Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017)
According to Zack Snyder, Lex Luthor has gained a modern guise, inspired by technological billionaires. Jesse Eisenberg brought a performance marked with eccentricity, nervousness and traces of chaotic genius, remembering figures like Mark Zuckerberg, whom he himself had already played in “The Social Network”.
This version divided the opinions, but presented Lex as an average and unpredictable entrepreneur, closer to the reality of contemporary CEO. Interestingly, this version is one of those that spend most of the screen with the hair.
Nicholas Hoult – Superman (2025)
In James Gunn’s film that opens the new DC universe in cinemas, Nicholas Hault takes on the role of Lex Luthor. The version brings references to eccentric technology and billionaires, evoking figures such as Elon Musk.
Cruel, obsessed and moved by deep hatred for Superman, this lex is one of the most intense versions and marks the beginning of a new phase of the character in the cinema.
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Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
