"He's An It" - Major Superman Theory Points To Lex Luthor's True Endgame

I think I’ve figured out Lex Luthor’s ultimate endgame in James Gunn’s Superman. Played by Nicholas Hoult, the DCU’s Lex Luthor looks like he will be a faithful depiction of the classic DC Comics supervillain, with unbridled hatred for Superman and all. To that end, I think I have got a pretty good idea about Luthor’s plans following the most recent trailer.

Teasers and trailers for James Gunn’s Superman have featured a wide variety of villains who will be pitted against the Man of Steel. However, many of them look to have connections to Lex Luthor himself, particularly the mysterious Ultraman and The Engineer. Regardless, several sH๏τs from the Superman trailers show Luthor and his fellow adversaries at a key location, one that will likely provide the mastermind not with kryptonite, but something that could likely hurt Superman just as much.

We Know Lex Luthor Is Going To Break Into Superman’s Fortress

Confirmed In Trailers For The First DCU Movie

Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor enters the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman

Despite being an isolated sanctuary reserved for Kal-El and those closest to him, trailers for Superman have shown Lex Luthor, Ultraman, and The Engineer inside the walls of the Fortress of Solitude. Although it does look like they’ll be facing resistance from Krypto the Super Dog and Superman’s robotic attendants, it doesn’t appear as though the Man of Steel will be present during this break-in. This is evidenced by other sH๏τs where Superman is shown in the Fortress holding the remains of one of the robots.

As such, it can be inferred that Lex gets into the Fortress and likely gets out with relative ease, getting his hands on whatever he came for. With that in mind, I think it’s notable that the trailers show Lex inside the Fortress when he says, “He’s not a man. He’s an ‘it’ who’s somehow become the focal point of the entire world’s conversation.“

Theory: Lex Luthor Will Expose Superman’s Alien Status To The World

It Might Have Been A Secret Before The First DCU Movie

Lex Luthor’s comments inside the Fortress about Superman being an “It” certainly make me think that Kal-El’s status as an alien from Krypton might be a new revelation, one he’ll share with the world. While James Gunn’s Superman won’t be an origin story, it has been confirmed that it will be early on in the Man of Steel’s career, so Lex discovering this fact for the first time after visiting the Fortress would make sense. This could also be why there are questions elsewhere in the trailer about Superman’s allegiances and whether he’s representing the interests of the United States or not.

After all, Superman does appear to be a human with powers. This is something that’s already fairly common in the DCU, as proven by the other heroes debuting in Superman, including Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and more. Perhaps the world simply ᴀssumed Superman was also human, at least before the Man of Steel potentially gets exposed by Lex Luthor. This could even be why Superman is shown being arrested.

How This Idea Connects To Superman’s Official Synopsis

Exploring Kal-El’s Kryptonian Heritage

The idea of Superman’s alien heritage becoming public in the upcoming DCU also connects to the film’s official synopsis:

“Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice and the human way, he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned.“

Before Lex Luthor potentially outs him as an alien, it would be fascinating if Superman himself might have been ignoring the alien side of his heritage in favor of the human family who actually raised him. This would in Superman finally having to reconcile both parts of himself once everything’s out in the open, embracing both Clark Kent and Kal-El. While pure conjecture ahead of the film’s release, I feel pretty confident that this will be Lex Luthor’s endgame in Superman.

Superman releases in theaters on July 11th from DC Studios.