For more than 80 years, Lex Luthor has stood as one of Superman’s most enduring adversaries. Across comic books, films, and television series, the character has taken on many different interpretations, each emphasizing his intelligence, ambition, and relentless drive to defeat the Man of Steel. At times, he appears as a powerful billionaire, in others a brilliant but unhinged scientist, or even a modern tech magnate. No matter the version, Lex remains a villain audiences find endlessly fascinating. Here’s a look at some of the most memorable performances that have brought Lex Luthor to life on screen.
10. Michael Cudlitz — Superman & Lois
Cudlitz’s Lex is a man who has been through hell—17 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. This isn’t the world-domination-obsessed baddie we’re used to seeing. Rather, his obsession is cold, calculated revenge, and particularly against Lois Lane, whom he holds responsible for losing his daughter. His performance is slow-burning malevolence and calculating scheming, demonstrating what happens when a mastermind has nothing but time to scheme revenge.
9. Titus Welliver — Titans
Welliver had limited screen time on Titans, but made every second count. His Lex is terminally ill and views his creation—Superboy, a clone composed of his and Superman’s DNA—as his legacy. There’s gravitas to his performance, a blending of paternal drive and cold ambition. Short-lived as he was, this Lex made an impression.
8. Jon Cryer — Supergirl
When Jon Cryer was cast as Lex in Supergirl, everyone was skeptical. But he gave one of TV’s smartest, most fun interpretations of the character. Cryer’s Lex is charming when he needs to be, cold-blooded when he can get away with it, and always moving a chess game ahead of everyone’s understanding. It’s a performance that’s as much fun as it is formidable, and it converted a lot of skeptics into believers.
7. Jesse Eisenberg — Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Lex from Eisenberg was a risk—and gosh, did it polarize the masses. He remade the character as a nervous, tech-billionaire whiz kid instead of the classic cool tycoon type. Some appreciated the fresh take; some hated the jarring change. But regardless of whether you adored it or abhorred it, Eisenberg’s turn was daring, unorthodox, and unstoppable.
6. Kevin Spacey — Superman Returns
Before his off-screen controversies, Kevin Spacey provided us with a Lex that walked the line of wit and menace. Drawing on elements of Gene Hackman’s performance but cranking up the intimidation factor, Spacey’s interpretation was calculating rather than humorous. In Superman Returns, he showed that a sharply dressed villain was every bit as lethal as one who sports a planet-destroying death ray.
5. John Shea — Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Shea’s Lex was the biggest wolf in designer duds—a figure of respect outside, a master criminal within. Equally charming and intelligent, he made the best counterpoint to both Clark and Lois. His take added sophistication to television without sacrificing the menace in the background.
4. Scott Wells & Sherman Howard — Superboy
The Superboy series provided us with two Luthors in one. Scott Wells began the character as a younger, more ambitious Lex, but Sherman Howard made it truly memorable. Howard’s over-the-top, quick-witted, and larger-than-life performance provided viewers with a Lex as fun as he was deadly.
3. Michael Rosenbaum — Smallville
For a whole generation, Rosenbaum is Lex Luthor. Smallville depicted Lex as a tragic character—Clark’s friend, gradually lured towards the dark side. Rosenbaum’s interpretation was complex, exposed, and finally heartbreaking as we saw him transform from a misjudged outsider to Superman’s arch-nemesis. Even Guardians of the Galaxy’s James Gunn has stated it’s his favorite take.
2. Gene Hackman — Superman Films
In Richard Donner’s Superman and the sequels, Hackman established the template for on-screen Lex. Witty, suave, and completely self-interested, his Luthor combined humor with actual menace. Whether scheming real estate deals or exchanging witty repartee with Superman, Hackman made the character indelible.
1. Lyle Talbot — Superman Serials (1948 & 1950)
Before big-budget blockbusters, Lyle Talbot introduced audiences to Lex Luthor in the old black-and-white serials. His portrayal was straightforward but magnetic—a criminal mastermind obsessed with outwitting Superman. Without flashy effects or massive budgets, Talbot set the stage for every future Lex we’d come to know.
From silver screen legends to TV icons, Lex Luthor has been remade hundreds of times—and that’s the key to his brilliance. Each iteration adds another dimension to a character unwilling to remain contained in one box. In power suit, lab coat, or prison stripes, Lex is always Superman’s ultimate challenge—and one of pop culture’s greatest villains.