James Gunn and Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum Throw Major Shade at Former Lex Luthor Actor
Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum voices his discontent towards previous portrayals of Lex Luthor, with James Gunn showing support for his opinion on the matter
During a podcast conversation with James Gunn, Michael Rosenbaum delved into the topic of Superman: Legacy and took an unexpected turn by posing a question to Gunn about the potential future portrayal of Lex Luthor in the DCU. This led them to reflect on the various iterations of the character in previous TV shows and movies, including portrayals by Kevin Spacey, Michael Cudlitz, Titus Welliver, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jon Cryer. Despite acknowledging that Rosenbaum's portrayal may not align with the traditional DC image, Gunn expresses his personal preference for it. It is at this moment that Rosenbaum subtly expresses his dissatisfaction with previous on-screen interpretations and urges Gunn to ensure that Luthor is depicted as the definitive embodiment of the character in the reboot.
The speculation surrounding Rosenbaum and Gunn's comments focused on whether they were criticizing Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder's films. However, while it is possible that Rosenbaum was alluding to Eisenberg and other actors who played the character, Gunn clarified in a comprehensive Twitter statement that he was not specifically targeting any particular adaptation of Lex Luthor.
Gunn clarified that when he made the diss, he was not referring to Jesse Eisenberg, but rather to Gene Hackman's portrayal of Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeves Superman movies of the '70s and '80s. Although Gunn acknowledges that he may have spoken unwisely in the past, he still considers Hackman to be one of the greatest actors of that era, but simply didn't love his portrayal of Lex. Based on Gunn and Rosenbaum's personal preferences, fans can expect a closer depiction of Luthor from All Star Superman or Superman: The Animated Series, rather than the versions seen in Snyder's Earth One and Birthright-inspired adaptations. This shared taste in character depiction could potentially lend itself to a solo Lex Luthor movie in the DC Universe, similar to Joker.
Superman: Legacy is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Source: Inside of You, James Gunn
