Nicholas Hoult’s outstanding performance as Lex Luthor in Superman suggests the DCU will adapt an overlooked villain accurately after the DCEU’s The Flash ignored him. Superman has a long list of famous enemies, most of which haven’t made their first live-action movie appearance yet. Only General Zod, Doomsday, and Lex Luthor have served as Superman’s main antagonists in DC movies throughout the years.
Both on the big and the small screen, several actors have offered their own take on Lex Luthor, and each of them has left their mark on Superman’s archnemesis. Even though Lex Luthor’s feud with Superman has been revisited countless times, the DCU opens with yet another exploration of their conflict. And right from the beginning of the franchise, Luthor and Superman’s enmity becomes a pillar of the Man of Steel’s DCU journey.
Lex Luthor’s Hatred For The DCU’s Superman Is Perfect In Its Simplicity
Lex Luthor Doesn’t Have Convoluted Motivations Behind His Hatred For Superman
Previous Lex Luthor interpretations have provided different explanations for his Superman hatred, including a thirst for revenge and a decaying friendship. James Gunn’s Superman doesn’t spend too long justifying Luthor’s feelings. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor argues that Superman’s immense power is misplaced in Kal El, and that an overly friendly alien being doesn’t deserve to be able to influence the world all by himself. At the end of Superman, Luthor explicitly admits to Superman that he’s simply brimming with jealousy.
The DCU’s Reverse-Flash Could Be An Even Bigger Hater Than Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor
Eobard Thawne’s Hatred For The Flash Is Even More Intense Than Luthor’s Hate Towards Superman
Reverse-Flash is one of the most relentless villains in DC Comics because his motivation is ridiculously simple: he hates the Flash. In the comics, Eobard Thawne’s admiration for Barry Allen devolves into pure hatred. Unlike villains who seek power or conquest, Reverse-Flash devotes his whole life specifically to ruining Barry’s life, often traveling back in time to sabotage every aspect of his existence, including the murder of his mother.
In the DCU, Nicholas Hoult’s Luthor despises Superman in an almost pathological way. The same approach can work for the DCU’s Reverse-Flash. Like Luthor, Eobard Thawne doesn’t need a complicated backstory to justify his cruelty. The DCU can cut straight to the chase and focus on the increasingly cruel plans Reverse-Flash crafts to torment the Flash.
The DCU’s Reverse-Flash Would Instantly Improve The Flash’s Movie Legacy
The Flash’s First Movie Barely Had A Main Antagonist
Despite the character’s fame, The Flash failed to capture what makes its тιтular hero an A-list DC character. The Flash was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and dismal box office numbers. Besides its poor visual effects and off-camera controversies, The Flash presented a jumbled plot with little focus on Barry Allen and his comic book lore. The Flash also wasted General Zod and only featured an original version of Black Flash in the third act.
Whenever the DCU introduces its new Flash, a more speedster-focused story with a classic villain like Reverse-Flash would already be a huge improvement. The DCU doesn’t have to adapt Flashpoint to explore Reverse-Flash’s hatred for Barry Allen. Simply dropping viewers in the middle of both speedsters’ conflict, similarly to James Gunn’s Superman, would be enough to do them justice.
