Criminally overlooked by the current DCEU, Smallville might be the best live-action adaptation of Clark Kent’s life. However, Superman is just half of the equation of greatness, which is Smallville; the other half belongs to Michael Rosenbaum’s outstanding performance as Lex Luthor. While some stretches of Smallville might not have been all that great, one could always count on Rosenbaums’s performance as Luthor to liven things up. Methodical, nuanced, and absolutely diabolical, Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor was, without a doubt, the best live-action version of the character so far. And that’s why he remains the best Lex Luthor actor.
Michael Rosenbaum Understood Lex Luthor
Like every great villain, Smallville’s Lex Luthor had a complicated relationship with Clark Kent. Though they were friends growing up, a series of ill-fated events led to his turn to a life of villainy.
However, defining Luthor as merely a “villain” would be a terrible disservice to his character. Luthor’s genius-level intellect makes him distrust someone as powerful as Superman. The logic behind Luthor’s hatred for the Man of Steel stems from his fear of what a being of such power could do against humanity.
Of course, from time to time, Luthor’s hunger for power gets the best of him. Rosenbaum knew exactly how to portray Luthor in a way that always made him seem justified while keeping some of his menacing villain persona intact.
Lex Luthor’s Kryptonite
Much like the comics, there’s only one thing that could be considered Lex Luthor’s biggest weakness: his narcissism. In Luthor’s mind, everyone, including some of his closest friends and family, is out there to get him.
Rosenbaum managed to portray someone as neurotic as Luthor with incredible restraint. Any other actor – Jesse Eisenberg, for example – would have gone too far with the characterization of such a complicated character. This might be the reason why so many actors end up portraying Lex Luthor in a comedic manner.
Compared to the work of Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum plays Luthor in a more sinister way than his predecessors. Considering that Rosenbaum has ample experience with comedy, it’s incredible that he managed to portray the character as he did.
Lex’s Reasons To Hate Superman
Another thing that makes the Michael Rosenbaum version of Lex Luthor so great is how close the character is to his comic book counterpart. One of the reasons why comic book Luthor hates Superman so much is because he’s partially responsible for making him go bald. No, really.
This plot point is present in Smallville, with a few minor changes to make it look a little less absurd. When exposed to the meteor shower that brought Clark Kent to Earth, Luthor is cured of his asthma – but also loses his hair in the process.
While he doesn’t hold too strong a grudge against Clark for this incident, it’s still nice to see that the team behind Smallville was so determined to make a solid origin story based on classic Superman comics.
The added depth of Lex’s relationship with his father, Lionel Luthor, is also noteworthy. The parallels between Lex’s complicated upbringing and Clark’s stranded connection with the human race only make his character even more fascinating, turning him into the ultimate deuteragonist of the DC universe.
Now that Tom Welling has shown interest in returning as Superman in some way, it would be the perfect time to bring back Michael Rosenbaum into the mix. This would be the perfect opportunity for James Gunn’s DCU to get a threatening villain, one who’s also unapologetically human – even if it’s only in a TV show.
“You’re Undeniably The Best” – James Gunn On Michael Rosenbaum As Lex Luthor
With James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy in the works, fans are eagerly anticipating the reveal of any details regarding the upcoming film. As of now, little is known about the film except that it will follow a younger version of Superman than the one played by Henry Cavill in the SnyderVerse (sniff sniff) and, if rumours are anything to go by, Lex Luthor is believed to have an important part to play in The Last Son of Krypton’s upcoming adventure. While the director of Guardians of the Galaxy has not revealed whether the supervillain will actually be the main antagonist in his reboot, he has shared who he believes is the best Lex Luthor of all time.
In a recent interview on actor Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, DC co-boss James Gunn skillfully dodged questions regarding Lex Luthor’s appearance in the highly anticipated Superman reboot, which is currently set for release on 11 July 2025. Despite Rosenbaum’s pressing inquiries, the 56-year-old filmmaker remained tight-lipped about whether or not Superman’s most iconic nemesis would appear in the upcoming film.
“There’ll be a Lex Luthor, right?” Rosenbaum launched into his line of questioning. “Isn’t that already well known?” Rosenbaum clarified after a long pause from Gunn. “If there were a Lex Luthor … promise me … he’ll have gravitas. … He’ll be Lex Luthor. He won’t… be goofy … or crazy! He’s going to be something that’s grounded and real.” Rosenbaum went on, most likely making a subtle dig at Jesse Eisenberg’s twitchy portrayal of the popular villain. The podcasters’ sentiments were shared by Gunn, who then stated that “everything” in his Superman: Legacy script is “grounded and real.”
The director also used the opportunity to laud his close friend’s portrayal of the complex character, dubbing Rosenbaum “the best Lex Luthor” ever to grace the screen. “I’m not joking; you’re undeniably the best, Lex,” he said again. This compliment validates James Gunn’s admiration for Michael Rosenbaum’s portrayal of Lex Luthor and recalls the 50-year-old actor’s successful run on Smallville.
Check out the full interview for yourself below:
What do you think? Was Michael Rosenbaum the best Lex Luthor?
