Superman director James Gunn broke down the reasons behind Lex Luthor's hatred of the Man of Steel. Unlike previous on-screen versions of Lex Luthor, DC Studios' Superman delivered a truly terrifying take on the comic book foe whose terror stems from a motivation Gunn wants audiences to understand.
In Superman, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is the CEO of LuthorCorp and determined to destroy Superman after he arrives on the scene. In addition to turning the public against David Corenswet's hero, the villain uses his genius to create Ultraman, a Superman clone. Following Superman's theatrical debut, James Gunn opened up about his priorities for the rebooted villain and why Lex Luthor's goals were so dark.
In an extended interview with CBS Mornings, James Gunn dove into why he wanted an "incredibly dangerous" Lex Luthor who actually wants to "kill Superman," saying:
"Well, I think what was important for me is that Lex Luthor is incredibly dangerous. And I think that in the past, I haven't been particularly scared of Lex Luthor. I wanted a Lex Luthor who I'm like, 'Superman's got his work cut out for him.' And he really does. Lex has planned all this out. He wants to kill Superman. Kill Superman. Like, really kill him. And I think he's figured out some good ways to do it."
As for why Superman's Lex Luthor is driven to destroy Corenswet's hero, Gunn explained he's "probably considered the greatest man in the world" until he's suddenly replaced when "this guy flies in with dimples and a cape:"
"I understand his point of view. Lex Luthor is the smartest man in the world. He's done great things for humanity. He's a scientist and was probably considered the greatest man in the world until about three years when this guy flies in with dimples and a cape and suddenly everybody thinks he's the greatest man in the world. And Lex just cannot deal with it. It just kills him. You know, his ambition was everything, and it's gone. It's been destroyed by this guy, and so he's sort of rationalized his own way of believing that he is put here on Earth to destroy Superman."
In discussing previous on-screen renditions of Superman's archenemy, Gunn acknowledged Michael Rosenbaum's Lex from Smallville was also scary, as well as incredibly tragic and human. But in his Superman movie, Lex and Clark are meeting for the first time, and it was a priority for Gunn to have audiences "understand him" and "understand his hatred:"
"In this movie, Lex and Superman are meeting for the very first time. But I do think that, you got to make Lex scary. He's got to be fully himself. But also, you have to understand him. I think you have to understand his hatred of Superman and that's what Nick (Hoult) gets across so beautifully..."
As the first film within the rebooted DC Universe, Superman not only starred David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor but also Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen (and who's getting a HBO Max spin-off series?), and a cast of other familiar DC heroes played by Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, and more. Superman arrived in theaters on July 11, 2025, and is expected to be followed by other DCU films and series, including 2026's Supergirl starring Milly Alcock.
Lex Luthor’s Grudge Shows Gunn’s Writing Strength
Heroes are made better when paired with great villains. Therefore, when faced with the challenge and stakes of rebooting Superman, James Gunn made a smart choice by pitting him against a dangerous and deeply motivated adversary (and who may be right about DC meta-humans?)
Adding to the impact is the fact that Superman is about humanity, and Lex is fully a human character with a relatable backstory. Instead of being evil for evil's sake, the idea that Lex's identity and security are shattered when Superman arrives actually humanizes him, even though he chooses to embrace selfishness and ambition. In many ways, he's a warning, and his relatability and flawed humanity make him far scarier than a one-dimensional mustache-twirling villain.
James Gunn's goal with Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor and the psychological groundwork behind his hatred for Superman shows why the 2025 blockbuster connected with audiences. Gunn isn't just bringing familiar DC characters back to the big screen; he's crafting complex, relatable characters and narratives.
