After rewatching the previous 10 live-action movies that came before the DCU’s Superman, I know exactly why Lex Luthor had to be the main villain of the 2025 movie. The DCU’s Superman film features a number of antagonists, including Ultraman and one colossal kaiju monster, but Lex Luthor is the central antagonist the story revolves around.

This is by no means new territory for Luthor, but with so many other possible villains Superman could have chosen from, the decision did raise questions about why Lex specifically had been selected. Having rewatched all the live-action Superman movies that came before DCU’s Superman, I feel the reasoning behind this is now especially clear to me, and especially wise-looking.

Nicholas Holt’s Lex Luthor Is The Newest In A Huge Roster Of Actors Who’ve Played The DC Villain

The DCU’s Lex Luthor Is Following Up On Many Previous Movie Versions Of The Character

Nicholas Holt’s Lex Luthor joins a long line of live-action Lex Luthors via his performance in the 2025 Superman movie. Naturally, this roster includes not only the film world, but also the world of television – and includes an ᴀssortment of voice actors who’ve played the character in animated releases.

This plays a big part in what makes Nicholas Hoult’s version of the antagonist so notable. That’s true both in the sense that Holt follows in the footsteps of iconic versions of Lex Luthor like Gene Hackman and Michael Rosenbaum’s iterations, and in terms of his Luthor building on what came before while also being his own unique take on the villain.

However, the DCU starting off with Lex Luthor has raised some questions, since Luthor is such a common villain for live-action Superman movies to use, despite the hero having a wide array of antagonists to use instead. Looking back at the Man of Steel’s movie history, though, it’s clear why this approach was taken.

The DCU Movie Arguably Needed Lex Luthor To Be Superman’s Central Villain Based On The Hero’s Entire Film History

DC’s Movie History With Lex Luthor Shows Why The DCU’s Superman Needed Holt’s Villain

Of the 10 Superman-focused live-action movies Superman has starred in over the years – including the Superman film serials, which released in weekly segments – 5 feature Lex Luthor as a central villain in the film. That said, Superman II does see Lex take a backseat to Zod and his Kryptonian allies until they begin working together.

However, Atom Man Vs Superman, 1978’s Superman, Superman IV, and Superman Returns all feature Luthor as their main, primary villain. While this does speak to Luthor having had a fair amount of movie screentime, said history also underlines the reasons the DCU’s Superman needed Lex Luthor as its own flagship villain.

Luthor’s ties to Superman work effectively and consistently to depict Kal-El at his most heroic, since the pair are often shown as perfect opposites. This is as true for the likes of Atom Man Vs Superman and Superman: The Movie as it is for the DCU timeline with 2025’s Superman, since all of these releases lean into how Luthor’s shadowy schemes and inventions contrast with Superman’s honest and straightforward heroism.

Additionally, it seems Lex Luthor was so well-established that, much like 2025’s Superman, 1950’s Atom Man Vs Superman centers on an established Superman and Lex Luthor rivalry, without focusing too much on how this initially came to be. This demonstrates the lack of setup Luthor needs compared to other villains, and how long the interest in their rivalry has existed.

With all this said, it’s also worth considering how this cinematic history plays a role in Lex’s Superman debut. Since almost every Superman – or at least every era of Superman – has gotten its own major Lex Luthor story, it stands to reason the DCU kicking things off with its own cements the 2025 film as the start of a new age in a major way.

I’m Excited To See How The DCU’s Lex Luthor Builds On The Villain’s Movie History

Lex Luthor’s Movie Past & Present Builds A Fascinating-Looking Future

Nicholas Holt’s Lex Luthor has similarities with many other versions of the iconic DC villain. He’s got Gene Hackman’s snark, the inventing skills of Lyle Talbot’s take on the antagonist, the bitterness of Michael Cudlitz’ Superman & Lois villain, and the talent for line delivery that made Michael Rosenbaum and Clancy Brown’s Luthors so lastingly beloved.

However, the DCU version of the antagonist is also a distinct and unique take on Lex Luthor at the same time. This balancing of fresh story faucets – like Lex creating Ultraman and giving The Engineer powers – alongside making Holt’s Luthor feel like a true comic book villain is a potent mix, and one that’s set to grow better with time.

Now we already have a version of Lex Luthor who can create black holes and interdimensional prisons, the future seems essentially limitless in terms of what the DC Universe could do with the villain’s storylines. With almost a century of comic stories to draw from, it’s hard to not be excited about this prospect.

Hopefully, the DC Universe will feature return appearances from Holt’s Luthor, which can further embrace the character’s on-screen history even as the franchise builds towards a new future. However, even in a scenario where Superman was the last time we saw this Lex Luthor, the decision to have him begin Superman’s DCU journey would still make a lot of sense.