Lex Luthor in other media

As Superman's best known enemy, Lex Luthor has been portrayed in almost every Superman media tie-in and franchise.

Lex Luthor is a major supporting character within the Superman mythos and has appeared in many of Superman's adaptations into other media. Traditionally, he is depicted as an evil scientific genius. Since the mid-1980s, he has often been portrayed as a wealthly business tycoon in control of (or heir to) a major conglomerate based in the city of Metropolis. His depiction in the Superman feature films are rather different- as that of an incredibly vain criminal interested in real estate development.

Atom Man vs. Superman

Luthor was first portrayed on film in the second Superman serial, Atom Man vs. Superman (1950). He was played by Lyle Talbot.

Feature films

Actor Gene Hackman played the role of Lex Luthor in the 1978 movie The Movie and in two of its three sequels (Superman II and The Quest for Peace). Hackman's portrayal is a notable departure from Luthor's comic book incarnations. In the films, Luthor is portrayed as Superman's comedic foil, or as comic book critic Peter Sanderson puts it, "a used car salesman wielding nuclear missiles." In most of the films of this franchise, Luthor's main business interest is real estate speculation.

Superman: The Movie

In the 1978 movie Superman: The Movie, Lex Luthor serves as the primary antagonist. He is purely motivated by money, as well as the desire to...
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