As a longtime fan of Superman and his rogues gallery, I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing various interpretations of Lex Luthor over the years. Each portrayal has its unique charm, but none have left as lasting an impression as Michael Cudlitz’s version in Superman & Lois.
Warning: SPOILERS for the Superman & Lois episode “To Live and Die Again” are ahead!
The final DC TV series airing on The CW, “Superman & Lois,” is nearing its conclusion. After “The Flash” wraps up the primary Arrowverse narrative in 2023, the fourth and last season of “Superman & Lois” has been scheduled for 2024 television, with Michael Cudlitz portraying Lex Luthor as the main adversary following his two guest appearances towards the end of Season 3.
This season, Luthor has been involved in numerous underhanded acts, such as causing Doomsday to temporarily kill Superman and then commanding the monster to slay Sam Lane. Furthermore, he estranged his own daughter and harmed Lois Lane’s reputation during an interview with Gordon Godfrey. However, the penultimate episode titled “To Live and Die Again” left a particularly heart-wrenching impact, which is why I find this live-action portrayal of him my preferred one.
Lex Luthor Unleashed A Nearly Invincible Doomsday Onto Smallville
In the story titled “To Live and Die Again,” Lex Luthor has been causing fresh troubles for the Kent family. He’s initiated a defamation lawsuit against them and also presented an enormous bill for the custom windows from his penthouse, which were broken when Superman swooped in to intercept John Henry Irons’ suit last week. To make matters worse, Amanda McCoy hinted at Lois Lane that Cheryl Kimble, the woman who manipulated her father and orchestrated his abduction, had passed away. This means there’s no other potential witness who could testify against Luthor in court.
As Clark taught Jonathan and Jordan to enhance their abilities since the Man of Steel’s powers are dwindling, Lois went to visit Bruno Mannheim in prison. She sought his aid because he and his late wife Peia had framed Lex Luthor for the murder of Boss Moxie, which led to Luthor serving 17 years behind bars. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t find another witness against Luthor since everyone else who could testify was deceased. However, Lois did discover from Bruno that Cheryl had once been in love with Michael Cudlitz’s character; unfortunately, he only used her until she was no longer useful and then discarded her.
Lois observed that Luthor’s relationship with Amanda bore striking resemblance to his past ones, prompting her to caution Amanda to disengage from Luthor before it became problematic. Luthor, following Superman’s visit where he subtly manipulated Luthor into believing Amanda held the power, began distancing himself from her. In retaliation, Luthor granted Amanda a significant portion of LuthorCorp shares, which he justified as recognition for her contributions. However, his reaction to her affection was cold, and Lois’s advice caused uncertainty to grow in her mind.
While Milton was taking time to enhance John Henry Irons’ armor into his lethal suit, Lex Luthor figured out that Doomsday, who vanished a few weeks prior, had reappeared at the Smallville mines, seeking the gateway to the Inverse World. This realization sparked his most maniacal plan yet: since the people of Smallville chose Superman and Lois over him, he intended to use Doomsday to obliterate the town.
In a confrontation, Amanda brought up this matter and what Lois had shared with her; however, he reacted angrily, brushed her off, raced to the mines in his new attire, and used advanced Kryptonite weaponry to slay Doomsday, transforming him into his ultimate form. Currently, the monster has been let loose in Smallville, and at this moment, it seems Clark, Jonathan, and Jordan have no hope of overcoming it.
Why Michael Cudlitz’s Lex Luthor Is Now My Favorite Live-Action Version Of The Character
Before diving into “To Live and Die Again”, I was quite fond of Michael Cudlitz’s Lex Luthor, yet I wouldn’t have labeled him my absolute favorite live-action Luthor. That title still belonged to Jon Cryer, who honestly kept me hooked on Supergirl till the end. However, with each episode of Superman & Lois, my admiration for Cudlitz’s portrayal grew, and now, after this week’s show, I can undeniably place him at the top of my live-action Luthor list. While Clancy Brown’s version from the DC Animated Universe remains my favorite overall, that’s a discussion for another day.
In a different take from his usual comic book portrayal, this Lex Luthor may not be the mad scientist we’re accustomed to. Yet, I find it less bothersome, given that he has Milton to manage such matters. What really stands out for me is the harmonious blend of two defining traits in this TV version of Lex: his exceptional strategic mind and his self-centered disregard for others beyond himself.
Referring to the initial point, it brought to mind a quote from The Joker to Batman at the end of The Dark Knight: “You didn’t think I’d risk losing the fight for Gotham’s soul in a fistfight with you? No, you need a secret weapon.” Keeping that in mind, it should be noted that the situations in Superman & Lois differ significantly, and as hinted in the trailer for the series finale below, Luthor appears to be battling both Superman and his teenage sons while wearing an upgraded armor.
As much as I’m looking forward to seeing these action-packed sequences, I’m glad that Lex Luthor simply battling the three heroes wasn’t his endgame. He could have easily just assaulted them on his own and tried to kill them with Kryptonite, but upon learning where Doomsday was, he decided to kill two birds with one stone by having the creature destroy Smallville and eliminate his enemies at the same time. That’s the kind of planning that’s integral to Luthor’s characterization in most depictions and has been done to great effect on Superman & Lois.
Regarding the second point, it’s indisputable that Michael Cudlitz’s portrayal of Lex Luthor exhibits clear signs of narcissism. Every action he takes is primarily driven by his own ambitions and desires. While he expressed a desire to reunite with his daughter and be part of her life, when Elizabeth asked him to abandon his quest for vengeance against Lois Lane, he flatly refused. This refusal underscores that his vendetta was more valuable to him than restoring relationships or meeting his future grandchild.
Initially, it might have appeared to some that Amanda McCoy managed to penetrate Lex Luthor’s cold facade, but just as he had done with Cheryl Kimble years ago, he brushed her aside. Despite giving the impression of a harmonious partnership between them, his actions were driven by his own agenda rather than their shared plan. In fact, he openly declared that he was free to do whatever he wanted. While some villains can change for the better, it’s unlikely that Luthor in this series will have a redemptive arc, and I’m content with that development.
On Monday night at 8 pm Eastern Time, the last episode of Superman & Lois is set to air on The CW. Following this, Season 4 will be accessible for streaming with a Max subscription, though the exact release date has yet to be revealed. Alongside it, the entire series will also be available to stream at that time.
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2024-11-27 05:07