10. Scott James Howard
I don’t even think this guy should count. Honestly, I think I’m including him, just to rag on him. He is Lex Luthor. But he is little more than a wannabe someone – who is a little punk.
He fixes basketball games and is a slimeball. He wants a bunch of get-rich-quick schemes. But he is little to nothing like any Lex Luthor should be.
Because all those things he wants? He’s not good at any of them. Not smart. Not charming. Nothing. He nothing like any Lex Luthor ought to be. NOTHING.
I do not like him. His successor is far better and more Luthor like.
This version of Lex Luthor is a disgrace to all Lex Luthors. Bleh.
9. Jesse Einsberg
Another Lex Luthor that is barely Lex Luthor. Snyder attempted to give this version of Luthor a profound reason for disliking Superman. Failing on every front to make him scary.
He felt crazed and not in an interesting way. More like the crazy guy, you ignore in the corner. Oh, don’t mind him, he’s nuts. That type of dude.
He never feels scary or like a real threat. He appears downright manic and without any real goals.
Like a kid, playing with his toys, and changing the rules as he goes. Nothing about him screams interesting or depth. He had no gravity and was utterly forgettable.
I do not blame the actor. I blame the writers and the director for deciding this was a good idea.
8. John Cryer
No. Just no. I’m not even a fan of Two and a Half Men, but nothing about John Cryer screams evil. Again, he feels like a toddler stomping his foot in the corner complaining about Kryptoians. For all the bluster and build-up, he was given, this Luthor fails short of being anyone notable.
My favorite thing about him was when he was replaced on Superman & Lois. Because I cannot take him seriously as a threat in any manner. Nope. Even if this picture. He appears more like a child dressing up like Lex Luthor.
7. Kevin Spacey
Honestly, up to this point, it was really hard to struggle to stack anyone higher than the other. I was just toggling them in order of offensive to me. And I really wish I could drop Spacey lower for being a despicable human himself. However, maybe because he’s a terrible person, he plays an decent Lex Luthor.
He plays a fine Luthor. He’s menacing enough and seemingly threatening to children – which is just despicable. Beats Superman to a pulp when he has the chance and stabs him. Also attempts to make the entire world toxic to the hero while achieving his own goals. Uncaring about the amount of people he murders.
In fact, he relishes in it. This is a decent Luthor. Not the best, but most certainly not the worst. However, the human might be. Moving on.
6. Michael Cudlitz
Okay, now we’re getting to the good stuff. Cudlitz actually scared the shit of me when he confronted Lois on the porch of the farm. So angry and ticked at being wrong. It truly felt like he would go to any length to destroy Lois. Absolutely convincing and does manage to kill Superman and murder several people. Kudos for managing what most Lexs do not.
I really liked the older Luthor who is just out for blood. It was a refreshing change of pace. He’s sick and twisted. And gets points for just going toe to toe with Superman on even footing. Loved that scene.
5. Gene Hackman
The iconic Lex Luthor. Honestly, while he not the most terrifying of the group, he is one of the most unsettling. He’s so casual in his cruelty. How he treats the people around him.
His casual murder of a police officer. Joking about creating a thing that would kill millions of people. It’s how he gets his kicks. You know?
He doesn’t care that he’s just going to randomly drop a bomb on some unsuspecting people. Because he can. Disrespects everyone around him. And is actually quite intelligent even though he’s obnoxiously boastful about it. He managed to discover based on where Superman says Krypton was that some of the meteors came with him and would be toxic. Then gleefully tricks Superman into opening his own doom.
Seriously, the moment when he gets him to just open the case himself is the most unsettling, joy filled moment from him. Like HA! Moron.
And I really love that.
4. Sherman Howard
This version is just straight up crazy. He’s everything that the first version was absolutely not. Charming, smart, and filled with hate for Superboy. He manages a body swap with Superboy, tries to blow up the world because he’s sad, and nearly kills himself and Superboy just to kill Superboy.
He’s mad! He’s crazy! Nuts. Unhinged. He’s the epitome of the mad scientist version of Lex Luthor we originally had in the comics. Cold, uncaring, and feeling incredibly random in his choices. While also feeling calculated.
My favorite episode is where he and Superboy are trapped together in a collapsed mine with Kryptonite. A true performance between the two actors, but also reveals exactly how this Luthor ticks. And it’s terrifying.
3. John Shea
Sherman Howard represents the – I believe – Silver Age comic version of Lex Luthor. Mad scientist, hellbent on destroying Superman by any means. John Shea represents John Bryne’s reimagining of Lex Luthor as a cutthroat businessman who wishes to take down Superman but while hiding behind his facade. The facade that he shows the world that he is a good man with only the world’s best interests at heart.
Not one who wants to line his pockets and rule the world. Who fears that only Superman can stand in the way of that. John Shea is a perfect representation for this. He’s got everyone fooled into thinking he’s the good guy. So much so, Lois nearly marries him!
He’s constantly scheming of ways to test or get rid of Superman while making a quick buck for himself. And even after he’s long gone, his presence is still felt throughout the show. He’s truly scary, because he manages to convince the world, he’s a good guy. That scares the shit out of me.
2. Michael Rosenbaum
Akin to this, but with more overt evil, is Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor. He starts out, appearing like a good man. However, we soon learn that he struggles with dark urges. And as time goes on, he gives into them more and more.
Whether this is inevitable or the way he was treated in Smallville by not only Clark, but the inhabitants is up for debate. Which I love. They treated him like the villain. So he gave into that. Or was he always going to be villain?
Michael does such an excellent job making you question that. Because we know the answer. We know the friendship is doomed from the start. Yet we root for it. We root for Lex. We like Lex. And we watch him slip away season by season until he’s the villain we knew he would become. Yet we’re sad for him. This is my childhood Lex Luthor and with such a layered story and arc, I couldn’t not give him the number two spot. Honestly, I could write essays on him. However… this next guy, takes the crown.
1. Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult! The new kid on the block came in and blew everyone away. He’s smart, charming, and he sends chills down my spine. He played the entire world into letting him kill Superman. He convinced a room full of people to follow him in this pursuit.
So much so, he felt comfortable admitting his crimes to them. They were loyal to him. He inspired this loyalty. Not just fear. They cheered alongside him. Enjoyed the victories and were frustrated at setbacks. I think that, scares me more than anything else. He convinced so many people to think he was right. Justisfied in his distrust and hatred of Superman.
He’s smart and cunning. And he understands that he is driven by his base emotions, but he also feels that it his duty to humanity to try and save them. Save them from themselves. I love this version of Lex Luthor. He’s given layers and depth in such a short amount of time. I want more and less of him all at the same time. More, because he’s amazing. Nicholas Hoult is now the epitome of Lex Luthor for me. Less, because he scares the shit out of me.
Seriously. Sitting in the theater – watching this movie for the first time – I was genuinely scared of this version. Utter fear and worry for how the hero could overcome him. David Corenswet said that a hero is only as compelling as his villain. Well, congratulations, he’s compelling and terrifying.
Whew.
Well, that’s my list! Any thoughts or disagreements? How would you rank them? I wanna know! Tell me all the thoughts!
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