As many live-action Supermen as there have been throughout the years, there have been nearly as many Lex Luthors. Everyone's favorite evil genius has taken the word "rivalry" to a whole new level, tormenting nearly every single iteration of the Man of Steel on both TV and film. The hero's most recent incarnation, played by David Corenswet in James Gunn's Superman, brought with him a new Lex Luthor, this time played by Nicholas Hoult.
Much like with Superman, the casting of Lex may feel almost as momentous as the casting of a new James Bond. People just get excited to see what the character's new brand of evil will be. Most actors who have portrayed him have delivered wonderful performances. Even the most controversial ones, such as Jesse Eisenberg's version, have interesting quirks to them, allowing them to stand out among the rest.
To give you an idea of just how many interpretations of the character there have been, below are all of the actors that have played Lex Luthor in live-action over the years:
- Lyle Talbot - Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
- Gene Hackman - Superman: The Movie (1978)
- Scott James Wells - Superboy (1988 - Season 1)
- Sherman Howard - Superboy (1989 - Season 2 - Season 4)
- John Shea - Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
- Michael Rosenbaum - Smallville (2001)
- Kevin Spacey - Superman Returns (2006)
- Jesse Eisenberg - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Jon Cryer - Supergirl (2019)
- Titus Welliver - Titans (2022)
- Michael Cudlitz - Superman & Lois (2023)
- Nicholas Hoult - Superman (2025)
Picking the best out of such a a large group of choices is an incredibly tricky thing, but there is one performer who's shined so bright as Lex Luthor, that it's hard to put anyone else above him: That actor is... drumroll please... Michael Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum played Luthor in Smallville, a show that focused on Clark Kent's younger years before becoming Superman.
Now, it's not a novelty to pick Rosenbaum as one's favorite evil genius. In fact, he's often cited as the best performance of the character so far. But you know what? To heck with it, the man deserves some more praise. Maybe it was the benefit of having mutliple episodes to develop over, but the actor gave Luthor a gravitas that had never been seen in the character, in both media and, perhaps, even in the comics.
Perhaps the best part about his incarnation was the fact that he started out as Clark Kent's friend. He wasn't out to destroy him. He was, in fact, desperate to fit into Clark's social circle and become an important part of his life. He also had a lot of complex aspects to him that are rare to find in comic book villains. For example, he was often ruthless, yes, but some of that cruelty stemmed from a desire to live up to his father's ever-disapproving eye. As Lex fell deeper and deeper into the dark side, Smallville viewers were prompted to wish from the deepest depths of their hearts that Lex would return to the light.
For those familiar with the Superman mythology, we knew it wasn't possible for Lex to stay on Clark's side. That's just not how the story is supposed to go. Yet, he was so brilliantly written, and so brilliantly portrayed by Michael Rosenbaum, that a glimmer of hope (denial, perhaps?) remained inside us of him not making the full heel turn. But then, after years of making us root for Lex, the show delivered the ultimate (yet, still expected) betrayal.
As his ruthlesnesss and violent tendencies veered too extreme for anyone to defend, he ended up becoming "the villain of the story," as he so eloquently put it. He was now too far gone for fans to root for his return to the light. At that point, he was frightening and intimidating, everything you'd want Lex Luthor to be. It was an amazing portrayal that has a good opportunity of remaining arguably the most solid depiction of Lex Luthor we've ever seen.
A close second to Rosenbaum's Lex is Nicholas Hoult's Lex. The actor brought a physicality to the role that had been lacking from past portrayals. Similar to comic book Lex, Hoult was physically imposing as the character—perhaps not on the level of Corenswet's Superman, but enough where he will be able to believably hold his own next to Superman in 2027's Man of Tomorrow.
The only Lex portrayal that has arguably come truly close to his comic book counterpart has been Rosenbaum's. However, as Hoult continues his journey through the DCU, his interpretation of the villain will likely become the one that will encompass all of the complicated facets that make up Lex Luthor from the printed page.
Now, it's your turn. Tell what you think has been the best interpretation of Lex Luthor on screen—both in film and on television.
What's your opinion on Michael Rossenbaum's Lex Luthor? And, again, who's your favorite live-action Lex Luthor? Drop your pick in the comments!