Superman & Lois is raising the bar for its final season by including the Man of Steel's infamous enemy, Lex Luthor. The next phase of Lex’s revenge is frightening following the Season 4 premiere and, all the while, Michael Cudlitz is proving himself worthy of taking over the mantle of the DC baddie and adding his name to the short list of those who have played the villain on The CW. Now, he’s getting honest about following in the footsteps of Michael Rosenbaum and Jon Cryer.
Just to provide some context, Michael Rosenbaum portrayed Lex Luthor regularly throughout seven of Smallville’s 10 seasons on The WB/The CW. The actor eventually guest-starred in the series finale of the Tom Welling-led show. Years later, Jon Cryer was brought on as the Arrowverse’s Lex via Supergirl, and it was assumed that the actor would reprise the role for Superman & Lois.
During S&L's second season, its ties to the Arrowverse were retconned, giving the producers a chance to cast a new actor for Luthor. Michael Cudlitz's Lex was introduced towards the end of Season 3, quickly establishing himself as a maniacal force. The Walking Dead alum spoke to TV Insider about carrying on the legacy of the fan-favorite villain and addressed any interactions he's had with his predecessors:
I’d met [Smallville‘s] Michael Rosenbaum previously at conventions and in passing. We have a lot of mutual friends and I did an interview with him for his podcast when I was up shooting Clarice in Toronto. And we had a fantastic, fantastic interview. None of this was even in the works yet, obviously, it was two years prior. I know Jon Cryer had said something nice to sort of ease the fans who were upset that he was not moving over [from Supergirl], but I don’t think that Michael has really been interviewed or asked specifically about it.
Jon Cryer did indeed praise his successor upon his casting in 2023. It's also great to hear that Michael Cudlitz and Michael Rosenbaum had a great exchange, even if it was before the former was tapped for Superman & Lois. As for anyone who might still have their own reservations about Cudlitz now taking on the role, he shared a balanced summation of the situation:
Look, we who do this understand it’s different worlds, different actors, different places in time. Nobody got fired, so I could do Lex. It’s a different Lex and a different world. I can only imagine that Michael will be very pleased.
By the time the Band of Brothers alum was tapped to play Luthor, Supergirl had finished its run. And, with that, Jon Cryer’s time in the rold had ended. Those two details, paired with the fact that S&L takes place in a different universe, means it was understandable for a new actor to be hired. Michael Cudlitz has some big shoes to fill, but it’s already been exciting seeing what he brings to the role and how different it is compared to past interpretations.
I do have to admit, though, that it would have been fun to see Michael Rosenbaum return as Lex (even briefly), especially after Tom Welling and Erica Durance returned as Clark and Lois, respectively, popped up in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. The same goes for Jon Cryer, but it has been fun to see someone else portraying Lex. The only non-Kent family member to be in the main cast for S&L Season 4, Michael Cudlitz's Lex is sure to do more damage that add to the character's evil legacy.
You can catch new episodes of Superman & Lois Season 4 when they air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW as part of the 2024 TV schedule. You can also stream the first three seasons using a Max subscription.
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