Word on the Interweb is Kevin Spacey will reprise his role as Lex Luthor in Superman: Man of Steel, set for a 2009 release.
Spacey hopes to shoot his Luthor role in a six-week block, as he did on “Superman Returns,” after he completes his run in David Mamet’s “Speed the Plow” in April.
I really really hope Lex Luthor in Man of Steel is not the central villain. I’m sick and tired of a watered down Lex Luthor in films. We need Braniac, a Parasite, a Darkseid. Heck, I’d be happy with a giant space gorilla. The film needs a bad guy Superman can really go toe to toe with.
Don’t be surprised if you also see less and less of Spacey as time goes by.
“My priorities have changed,” he admitted on the phone from London. “Theater is the No. 1 thing in my life. But I love movies and will continue to make movies when I can.”
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I am also tired of Lex Luthor and his evil plots involving real estate. Brainiac or Zod would be great, preferably a less campy Zod. We need someone who is worthy of Superman’s full strength.
I’m calling Bizarro as the villain with a late Brainiac tease.
They ruined their chance with Luthor though. The last movie should have had him as “Business Lex.” He still could have been the “Hackman” Lex, having cut a deal with the government or something to get out of prison legally…even a presidential pardon for saving the world in Superman’s absence. Instead we get the same evil land-snatcher. A bald Headly Lamar. Don’t call him Heddy.
Sick of Luthor too. This goes for the comics as well.
Bald, Boring, Bawdy.
But who gives a damn about Singer and his dull Jesus Superman with the awful speeches and corny metaphors, when you got Morrison on All Star Superman? Not me certainly.
I think they should have used the animated Lex, which is basically just “Business” Lex and “Mad Scientist” Lex fused together and had him create Metallo or Parasite, with Bizarro being hinted at for the sequel.
Absolutely right Brent. Lex has to be in the background in the next film, there, but not part of the action. I think a Metallo Brainiac combo would work perfectly. Leading the way for Bizarro in the 3rd film.
They need to change Lex into the business man that he is in the comics, Smallville, and Animated DCU.
Not that anyone cares, but if Singer had to insist on “continuing” the Reeve movies, here’s what I would have done:
Superman gets lured off into space by Brainiac as explanation for the “disappearance;” Brainiac attaches himself to the spacecraft.
Lex cuts a deal with the government to patent his “alpha wave” invention which in turn results in some sort of disaster being averted. Lex is pardoned, makes millions, returns to Metropolis as a local hero bearing “miraculous” new technology (stolen from the Fortress, of course.)
Superman Returns and finds out Lois has a daughter (not a son, I have my reasons) and that Lex is using the Kryptonian technology for sinister purposes (i.e. the “Khandaqi” government is eager to buy this stuff in exchange for essentially becoming Lex’s very own puppet government that he can use to manipulate the world, as Khandaq is in the U.N.)
Lex seeks a super-powered ally to match Superman, who is being far too nosy regarding Lex’s illegal doings. His initial cloning experiments fail (setting Bizarro up for a sequel) and cause Lex to settle on the now-depowered Zod, who is rotting in prison. Lex visits Zod in prison and actually stabs Zod with a “Krystal” to repower him. The Krystal not only repowers Zod, but it reduces him in age to a younger man. But when Zod steps into pure sunlight for the first time, the Krystal reacts horrifically, transforming Zod into Doomsday (the comic character’s “bone” protrusions are replaced here by Kryptonian Krystal formations.)
Slugfest ensues. Superman wins but is rendered comatose. Lex escapes blame. Lois whispers to the comatose hero that her daughter “Kara” is Superman’s child. Superman hears this…as does the nanoprobe of Brainiac, who will now seek to claim the kid in a future movie. The ongoing merger of Brainiac with Superman’s ship (buried beneath the Kent farm) is briefly shown, Superman flies into the sunset, movie ends.
In summary, you set up Brainiac AND Bizarro, AND Supergirl without giving away too much, keep Lex out of prison but clearly as a villain, and you get a better climax than flying a rock into space, no matter how vicious the Kryptonite shanking turned out to be. If necessary, you can still include Lois Lane’s boyfriend, the “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman” angle, and a few other things from SR, and the movie still works! At least to me!
How hard was that, REALLY?
Wow Mark, seems like you put just a little bit of thought into that prospectus. I enjoyed Superman Returns (and my girlfriend did too, much to my surprise). I agree that Luthor was boring in SR, he seemed neutered much like Dr. Doom was in Fantastic Four. Let Spacey loose in Man of Steel … and please please try and bring Kumar back!
I have the perfect Superman villian: Nuclearman.
Mark, nice plot. I too wrote something up for the sequel to SR, because I felt that I could write a better story than what was made. And I did, and so did you. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here, I think everyone could have written a better story for SR.