Clark may be facing his old nemesis Lex Luthor again next year, but he won’t be played by Jon Cryer in Superman & Lois.
As the Arrowverse undergoes a myriad of changes before the 2021 season, the biggest one in store for DC fans is the official start of Superman & Lois. Ever since Tyler Hoechlin charmed audiences in Supergirl‘s second season, there have been rumblings about him getting his own show. Now that it’s finally underway, casting news and plot details have slipped out little by little to up the anticipation.
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The Illuminerdi previously reported on the character descriptions for new cast members, including the Lang-Kushing family, which has since seen almost all its members cast. There was also talk of a villainous character referred to as “The Stranger”, to be played by Wolé Parks (Micah Richard from All American). He’s a mysterious figure determined to show the world how unnecessary Superman is.
While many fans suggested the possibility of this character actually being the Phantom Stranger from DC Comics, the details didn’t quite match up. At the same time, it seemed unlikely to be a character we’d already met in Supergirl since the studio was casting another actor for the part. So he can’t be Morgan Edge or Lex Luthor, can he?
Thankfully, a source confirmed the last missing piece of the puzzle to explain how all these things come together: Wolé Parks is playing Lex Luthor, he’s just from another Earth.
Lex Luthor From Earth Number…?
Superman & Lois is far from the first time Lex has been portrayed as Black on television, or in DC Comics overall. In fact, he’s currently voiced by Giancarlo Esposito on the DC Universe series Harley Quinn and portrayed accordingly.
However, this will be the first Lex to appear in the Arrowverse outside of Jon Cryer. Even when the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover took the characters to Smallville‘s Earth, Michael Rosenbaum was not there to grace Tom Welling with his presence. Considering that the CW superheroes currently think the multiverse is gone, it will be interesting to see how they explain a different Lex Luthor after spending so much time with the previous one.
Recently, Batwoman introduced a displaced Beth Kane post-Crisis, who struggled to find a place in the newly remade world before her life was tragically cut short. Perhaps the same could be true of this new Lex, who has been operating from the shadows since the “other him” is such a public figure. Once Supergirl defeats the current Luthor, a new one could be poised to take him place on another show.
Plus, it would serve as solid motivation if Parks’ Lex blames Superman and his friends for the destruction of the multiverse and therefore thinks Earth Prime could do without him. It certainly makes for a more compelling villain if he has a point that’s hard to deny.
All of these speculations will remain just that, however, until the Arrowverse shows go back into production. With no one knowing if another wave of COVID-19 will hit, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when that will be, although the studios are aiming for August. In the meantime, The Illuminerdi will keep checking in with The Watchtower for new intel and relaying it back.
Are you excited for a brand-new Lex Luthor on Superman & Lois, or are you more confused about the lack of Jon Cryer? Do you think the Arrowverse shows will make their scheduled 2021 dates? Let us know in the comments below, and visit The Illuminerdi for more DC news and features.
