Michael Rosenbaum discussed Superman : Legacy with James Gunn on his podcast, when Rosenbaum asked Gunn The conversation took an unexpected turn when a question was asked about a possible future adaptation of Lex Luthor in the DCU, leading them to look back at previous versions.
Since Rosenbaum played Lex Luthor in Smallville, there have been many live-action versions of Superman villains on TV and in movies, such as Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns, Michael Cudlitz in Superman and Lois, Titus Williver in Titans Season 4, Jesse Eisenberg in Batman v Superman, and Jon Cryer in the Supergirl series. Gunn described Rosenbaum as his personal favorite, despite not being a good fit for DC. It was at this point that Rosenbaum asked Gunn to reassure him that Luthor would be portrayed as an ideal representation of the character in the reboot, suggesting he was unhappy with previous onscreen adaptations.
On Inside of You, Gunn was unable to confirm or deny whether there would be Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy or the DCU in general. Rosenbaum told Gunn: “If there’s a Lex Luthor, promise me. He’ll be serious, or he’ll be Lex Luthor. He won’t play Lex Luthor, but he’s more like this character, or this, or stupid, or crazy. He’s going to be a down-to-earth, real guy.” Gunn replied, “Everything is grounded and real.” Rosenbaum went on to say, “I’m not saying anyone ever did that,” referring to the fact that it didn’t fit his Standard other versions of the character, Gunn quickly replied, “Maybe someone has done that.”
The public perception that Rosenbaum and Gunn were referring to the imagery of Eisenberg and Zack Snyder has been defended by many fans on social media, describing it as an origin story for the characters, inspired by Superman: Birthright, and borrowed from the eccentric billionaires of today’s world. image. While Rosenbaum could be referring to Eisenberg and many others, unless Rosenbaum is referring to at least one or two Luthor adaptations after him, there’s no reason to frame it the way he does, Gunn is not. The DC Studios CEO addressed the issue in a lengthy Twitter thread, clarifying who he was referring to.
A fan asked Gunn, “What’s the diss about Eisenberg? He’s one of the best actors of our generation,” to which Gunn responded by saying he “didn’t mean Jesse,” before posting that the 70s and Gene Hackman in the Christopher Reeves Superman movies of the ’80s. As it turns out, of all the live-action versions of Lex Luthor that the DC Studios CEO could have mentioned, this is the version that appeared before Rosenbaum’s adaptation in Smallville.
Gunn admits he’s “probably” made “unwise” statements in the past and on the podcast, but he’s a fan of the actor, still calling him “one of the five greatest actors of the ’70s and ’80s” and He “just doesn’t like him as Lex”. So instead of Snyder’s Earth-One and birthright-inspired versions of Superman and Luthor, fans should look forward to All-Star Superman or Superman: animated series, as Rosenbaum and Gunn seem to agree on how their personal tastes should be portrayed The character seems to even help itself into a Lex Luthor solo movie in the DCU, similar to Joker.
Superman: Legacy is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.