DCEU Theory: How Lex Luthor Could Enter The Justice League

While Lex Luthor spends most of his time as a villain, certain circumstances could see him join the DCEU’s Justice League, if only temporarily. Times of great adversity can sometimes lead to the formation of strange alliances, both in real life, and in fiction. This has definitely proven true in both the Marvel and DC comic book universes over the many decades of their existence, with just about any unlikely pairing or grouping one can imagine having been made into reality at some point.

That includes mortal enemies, even those who hate each other on the level of Batman and The Joker, as well as Captain America and Red Skull. Such alliances are never easy ones, and are always seemingly destined to implode eventually, but for brief periods, they can spice up comic book storytelling, as well as the adaptations of said comic books. The opportunity to see characters battle alongside each other that normally operate on opposite ends of the moral spectrum can lead to moments never before thought possible.

In that respect, it could be quite exciting to see Lex Luthor, Metropolis’ resident corrupt corporate executive with megalomaniacal delusions of grandeur, work with instead of against the various members of the Justice League, especially his nemesis Superman. Here’s how we think the DCEU might set up just that to occur onscreen, with explosive and impactful results.

Lex Luthor’s History As A Justice League Member In DC Comics

While Lex Luthor and Superman have had to become unlikely allies several times over the years, 2014 brought a truly strange development to the DC world: Lex was granted full and official membership into the Justice League. What’s more, Superman himself signed off on the move. To be fair, Lex had recently proved pivotal in defeating the Crime Syndicate of America, an evil parallel universe version of the Justice League. Lex may be a terrible person most of the time, but even he has his limits.

What’s more, Lex had actually personally saved Superman’s life during the same story arc, known as “Forever Evil.” The public naturally comes to view Lex as a hero, leading him to ask for and receive membership in the Justice League, ostensibly so he can help stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying their Earth. Of course, Superman doesn’t trust Lex in the slightest, and part of his reasoning for allowing his greatest foe into the group is so he can keep close watch on him, just in case he has ulterior evil motives. Unsurprisingly, Superman and Lex’s alliance didn’t last all that long, and neither did Lex’s time with the League.

The DCEU Needs Long Term Villains (& Lex Already Thinks He’s A Hero)

From the very early stages, the Marvel Cinematic Universe began building up Thanos as its overarching big bad, which finally culminated in the massive battles found within Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. By contrast, the DCEU has never managed to really establish its own signature villain. Steppenwolf came and went in one film, and with the Snyder Cut not being DCEU canon, and Joss Whedon’s disputed Justice League version also being downplayed, it remains to be seen how Darkseid will be used going forward. Lex Luthor could still fill the role of the DCEU’s first Thanos-level bad guy.

At the same time, jumping straight to that, with Lex only making a cameo in Whedon’s Justice League and still playing only a minor part in Snyder’s cut, would be too fast. Like Thanos though, Lex doesn’t view himself as a villain, only as someone willing to make hard choices for the betterment of mankind, at least in most portrayals of the character. It was never fully revealed how much of a role Lex had in facilitating Darkseid’s teased arrival on Earth, but if he played one, it’s likely only due to believing that Darkseid was unstoppable, even by Superman. Since he’s already, at least in his mind, operating with good intentions, it’s not impossible Lex would want to join the Justice League, and him successfully doing so would set a ticking time bomb on his eventual betrayal and rise to the level of the DCEU’s top villain.

Theory: Lex Luthor Joins DCEU’s Justice League

At the end of Justice League, at least Whedon’s theatrical cut, Lex is seen having escaped from prison and recruited Deathstroke for a venture that sure seems to be forming The Legion of Doom. However, it’s quite possible that after doing so, Lex will realize that he’s out of place on his own team, as the truly diabolical individuals he’s assembled don’t even pretend to want the best for humanity, and have no standards whatsoever as to what they’ll do to get what they want. Lex has lied, cheated, killed, and more, even just in the DCEU, but as established by his battle against the Crime Syndicate, he’s not beyond doing the right thing at times.

The Legion of Doom could run roughshod over Metropolis, Gotham, and beyond, leading Lex to appeal to the members of the Justice League to employ his assistance against the monster he created. True to form though, Lex’s plan would likely be to still attack the League at their weakest point, at the most opportune time, and with their guard possibly down, even with the Legion by his side or not.

What Lex In The Justice League Would Mean For The Future

In addition to possibly setting up Lex Luthor as the DCEU’s signature villain going forward, another benefit of him joining the Justice League would be keeping one of DC’s most famous characters in play, with him not needing to be the lead antagonist in every film he appears in. As a side perk, Luthor joining the League could lead to a Captain America: Civil War-esque battle for control over the group’s future. While Marvel fans would probably needle DC about going this route, there’s definitely a lot more potential in superhero vs superhero disagreement than was shown in Batman V Superman.

The Justice League could be divided over Lex Luthor’s addition, with one side – likely Batman’s – erring on taking advantage of Lex’s resources and genius to aid the League’s efforts against a greater evil. Superman, naturally, would probably be dead set against teaming up with Lex, and push back against Batman, leading to the other heroes picking a side in the dispute. That itself could ultimately be Lex Luthor’s master plan all along, to divide and conquer, using the lessons he learned in Batman V Superman to get the outcome he wants this time out.

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