Lex Luthor Movie Poster Imagines Bryan Cranston As the Superman Villain

Artist Bryan Zapp imagines Bryan Cranston as iconic Superman villain Lex Luthor, sharing his vision in the form of a fan-made solo movie poster. The power-mad CEO and genius scientist foe of the Man of Steel made his debut in” Action Comics #23″ in April 1940. The character has appeared across multiple film series and TV shows, such as the Richard Donner-helmed films, DCEU, and CW DC television series.

Driven by the belief that Superman is a threat to humanity, Lex Luthor is Superman’s most iconic and recognizable foe. Across his nearly 82-year history in DC’s comic book universe, Luthor has used his intellect and cunning to build mechanical armor to match Superman’s abilities, became President of the United States of America, and even taken on the mantle of the hero for a brief period. Gene Hackman has portrayed him in Richard Donner’s Superman (As well as that incarnation returning in the film’s recent comic continuation.). In contrast, Jesse Eisenberg last played the role in the DCEU. However, one fan has shared his vision for a live-action solo Lex Luthor movie.

Zapp’s artwork imagines a teaser poster for a “Luthor” solo film starring Cranston as the Lexcorp CEO. The poster depicts a close-up of half of Cranston’s scowling face, with the actor edited to have Luthor’s iconic bald head and expensive suit. The poster is seemingly inspired by teaser posters for Todd Phillips’ 2019 Joker solo movie, which starred Joaquin Phoenix in a reinterpretation of the Clown Prince of Crime’s origin in a more grounded universe. Check out Zapp’s original artwork below.

Despite his place in Superman’s rogues’ gallery, Luthor’s on-screen future is in an unknown, confusing position. Marc Maron will voice Lex Luthor in the DC League of Super-Pets animated feature film in 2022, the future of Eisenberg’s portrayal of the character is uncertain, as the DCEU seeks to move beyond Zack Snyder’s vision and Henry Cavill awaits news of his possible return. Meanwhile, it is unknown whether John Cryer will return to play the character in the CW’s Arrowverse following the finale of Supergirl. However, he did express interest in reprising the role in Titans.

Luthor is as important to Superman as the Joker is to Batman. As such, it would not be hard to imagine the character being a key figure in a future movie. Cranston would also be a perfect choice, with the actor having played complex, darker characters driven by their own sense of morality before. Cranston could easily portray Luthor’s cutthroat, business-oriented mindset while conveying his deeper distrust at Superman‘s protection of the world, bringing new life to the character on the big screen.

Source: Bryan Zapp

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