James Gunn’s DCU is officially going to begin with Superman: Legacy and he has made it clear that it will star a new actor as Superman who will be in an all-new adventure. While fans are still lamenting the loss of Henry Cavill, at this point, his return is almost impossible. Many fans think that he has permanently bid goodbye to the DC franchise and moved on.
But Cavill isn’t alone. Ben Affleck has also confirmed that he isn’t directing any of Gunn’s DC projects. The DC future of Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ezra Miller is also uncertain. Now, another DCEU actor’s role is in jeopardy thanks to Gunn’s new Superman film.
Is James Gunn Erasing The Actor Who Played Superman’s Arch-Nemesis?
On The Hot Mic podcast, film insider Jeff Sneider hinted that James Gunn is bringing in an all-new Lex Luthor for Superman: Legacy. He said, “The thing that I’m told is that Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Lex Luthor are all in the movie [Superman: Legacy]…” While the scooper doesn’t directly say that Gunn is letting Jesse Eisenberg go from the role, it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will not play the character anymore.
Not only was Eisenberg’s adaptation of Lex Luthor in the $827 million film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice panned by critics and fans alike, but with a new Superman actor coming in, it’s almost certain that Gunn will bring in a new supporting cast. Amy Adams, who portrayed Lois Lane alongside Henry Cavill’s Superman won’t return most probably as well. However, Lex Luthor’s involvement in Superman: Legacy hasn’t been confirmed so it will be wise to treat this scoop from Sneider as a rumor for now.
Lex Luthor Or Lobo For Superman: Legacy?
The rumor about Lex Luthor possibly appearing in Superman: Legacy might not be news for many. After all, the villainous character is one of Superman’s arch-nemesis. As such, it makes sense for him to be in the film. However, James Gunn recently stated in an interview with Variety that he won’t be adapting anything that has already been done. Gunn states:
“I don’t think the movie would be worth making if it was just a redo of any other Superman adaptation… For us to truly thrive as a studio, we need to honor the past of these characters while simultaneously seeing them in a new light.”
Also, for a long time, there were persistent rumors about Jason Momoa ditching Aquaman and playing Lobo in the DCU. What strengthened these speculations are the rumors about Aquaman 2 being a poor movie that isn’t on par with the first one. As such, Gunn may use Lobo instead of Luthor to infuse something new into the franchise. However, it’s also highly possible that there will be multiple villains out of which Luthor will be one. It now remains to be seen if this scoop turns out true or not.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is streaming on HBO Max.
Source: The Hot Mic and Variety