Zack Snyder recently announced that the Justice League: Syder Cut will be available digitally on 7th July. This once again raises the question of whether some of the characters will ever return to the DCEU. Among those with question marks on their heads is Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor, who exposes Batman’s identity to Deathstroke in the movie’s epilogue.
Since the ’50s, fans have seen numerous versions of Lex Luthor in DC’s live-action and animated projects. And while most of the iterations have similar goals and ideologies, their personalities slightly differ. As such, each fan can see parallels between themselves and one version of the Superman villain, especially when their attributes are studied using Zodiac signs.
Aries – Rainn Wilson (The Death Of Superman & Reign Of The Supermen)
Courage runs through the veins of Aries members and so do competitiveness and passion. Their imperfections are easily noticeable too, and they include impulsiveness and doubtfulness. These traits fit Wilson’s Luthor like the armored costume he wears.
Most versions of Lex Luthor prefer puppeteering rather than doing the dirty work themselves but Wilson’s Luthor is brave enough to put on a suit and fight one of the most powerful Superman villains, Doomsday. But it’s a decision born out of impulsiveness and it isn’t particularly a wise one since he almost loses his life.
Taurus – Jason Isaacs (Justice League: Gods And Monsters)
Tauruses are trustworthy, dedicated, and practical. Conversely, they demonstrate naivety, stubbornness, and over-indulgence in their likes or vices. Such attributes are common in this iteration of Lex Luthor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLdXiJJZekg
Since he is the least malicious interpretation of the antagonist, Isaacs’ Luthor ends up gaining the trust of many influential figures in DC comics. President Amanda Waller is more than happy to appoint him as her advisor whereas Wonder Woman gladly goes on a journey to space with him. Unfortunately, he disappointments many when he quits everything and settles for a life of seclusion during one of the biggest crises to ever happen on Earth.
Gemini – Jon Cryer (Arrowverse)
Geminis are adaptable, innovative, and kind on their good days. But like Arrowvere’s Lex Luthor, they have plenty of moments when they are seen as indecisive and narcissistic.
To achieve his goal of eliminating aliens, Cryer’s Luthor comes up with all kinds of innovative ways to kill them, including making customized Kryptonite weapons. He even figures out a way to travel to different universes so that he can kill all existing versions of Superman. However, he is never quite sure whether he hates the Arrowverse Superman or not, hence he has chosen to work with him a couple of times.
Cancer – Jesse Eisenberg (DCEU)
Cancers radiate high degrees of tenacity, diligence, and intuition. Their key negative attributes include grumpiness and vindictiveness. In his few appearances in the DCEU, Lex Luthor has been portrayed as having such traits.
Eisenberg’s Luthor is seen keeping tabs on not just Superman but his friend and families too. He is even aware that Bruce Wayne is the Caped Crusader, a detail not known to many of the best Batman villains. More importantly, he knows just about every influential person in America and has figured out how they can be useful to him. Luthor has extreme hatred for his father too because of how he was treated as a child.
Leo – Gene Hackman (Superman Tetralogy)
Leos are ever positive and confident. And because they look forward to the best, they happen to be very business-minded. However, they are very self-centered too.
Hackman’s Luthor is depicted as a very successful businessman who has varied interests in real estate. He goes as far as to venture into the world of nuclear technology, even though it’s quite clear that doing so will prove disastrous to the environment. And when he finally gets jailed, he remains hopeful that he’ll be out someday.
Virgo – Lyle Talbot (Atom Man Vs Superman)
Virgos thrive best when they are at work or chasing their dreams. But they tend to put it in too many hours, forgetting to take a rest or have a social life. The first-ever live-action Lex Luthor is the ideal Virgo.
A scientist by nature, Talbot’s Luthor has a firm stance against sleep, describing it as a waste of time. He spends most of his days conducting experiments and figuring out ways to make Superman powerless. The hard work almost pays when he achieves the difficult task of capturing Superman before he vanishes into “The Empty Doom.”
Libra – Steven Blum (Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox & Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis)
Libras are reputed for being diplomatic, charming, and curious. Their social nature tends to make them great team players too, and it’s no surprise that Blum’s Luthor does just fine as a member of Deathstroke’s group. But at times, Libras can be overly-emotional and intolerant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTXuXz5ddg
It’s Luthor’s curiosity that makes him join Slade Wilson’s team meant to infiltrate Atlantis. A part of him wonders what it’s like to fight Aquaman instead of Superman. And even though he is used to being the boss, he works well with Wilson’s other hired guns. But at one point, Luthor snaps and kills innocent citizens of Atlantis.
Scorpio – James Marsters (Superman: Doomsday)
Scorpios are generally more honest and proactive than members of other Zodiacs. Conversely, they are blunt, frantic, and happen to be very jealous. In the DC arena, Marsters’ Luthor is such an individual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5j80FZgzfA
Marsters’ Luthor will stop at nothing to defeat Superman. He tries everything, from manipulating Lois to creating an army of killer henchmen at LexCorp labs. And when Doomsday becomes the first to achieve the feat of killing Superman, Luthor becomes disappointed and angry at the fact that someone else did it before him.
Saggitarius – Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville)
Sagittarians are smart, talkative, and energetic, just like Rosenbaum’s version of Luthor. Lamentably, they are short-tempered and conceited.
Rosenbaum’s Luthor doesn’t just like to talk, he also makes sure to infuse quotes from historical figures and facts into his speech. On a more negative note, he tends to be too proud of himself yet he is younger and yet to achieve many of the things that the villain is known for in his later years.
Capricorn – Clancy Brown (Justice League & Justice League Unlimited)
Capricorns enjoy being in charge hence they make the best bosses and leaders. Contrariwise, they come off as tyrannical or condescending on their bad days, just like Brown’s Luthor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCHPfS69JwQ
After steering his company into profitability, Brown’s Luthor chooses to vie for the U.S. presidency. He also oversees many development projects, the key one being the advanced Lexor City. Sadly, Brown’s Luthor still bears much hatred for the Justice League and attempts to use his influence to undermine them at every turn yet society loves them.
Aquarius – Kevin Spacey (Superman Returns)
Aquarians are ambitious, progressive, and idealistic. Contrarily, they are always pessimistic and unrelenting. Spacey’s Luthor is a perfect Aquarius.
Luthor’s major goal is to unify continents, something he believes will be better for humanity. He also has a wish for ordinary people to be able to access Kryptonian powers. While pursuing these goals, he gets to see the negative effects, such as the masses dying because of the land movements, but he never really cares.
Pisces – John Shea (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman)
Pisces are artistic and compassionate. They have a reputation for being tragic individuals too and this often happens because they make poor choices. No one channels Virgo mannerisms better than Shea’s Luthor.
Shea’s Luthor has unique tastes. He enjoys reciting Shakespeare’s poems and listening to 18th-century classical music. He doesn’t want much, with his biggest wish being to get Lois for himself. Unfortunately for him, he keeps failing to achieve this goal, thus ending up a disgruntled villain.
About The Author
