Superman: All 11 Lex Luthor actors ranked from worst to best
By Cody Schultz
There have been some amazing actors to take on the role of Lex Luthor over the years, but which of the Lex Luthor actors is the best of the best?
When it comes to iconic DC villains, Lex Luthor is widely recognized to be one of DC Comics’ most iconic and enduring villains.
For over 80 years, Lex has been a staple in the pages of DC Comics. He’s known for his brilliant mind and ruthless determination to destroy Superman at all costs.
His presence in the DC Universe has shaped countless storylines and provided endless entertainment for fans of comics, TV shows, and movies. Over the years, we’ve seen nearly a dozen actors play the character in live-action adaptations alone. Each of these actors has put their own unique spin on the character and left their own stamp on the iconic character that is Lex Luthor.
With so many actors bringing their own interpretation to the role of Lex Luthor over the years, it’s hard to say who did it best. However, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing in this piece with a look at the best and worst actors who have portrayed one of DC’s most iconic villains!
Honorable Mentions (No. 11 – 8)
- Scott James Wells (Superboy)
- Sherman Howard (Superboy)
- Lyle Talbot (Atom Man vs. Superman)
- Titus Welliver (Titans)
Before we get into the thick of our list, we pay homage to Scott James Wells, Sherman Howard, Lyle Talbot, and Titus Welliver who all played the iconic comic book villain Lex Luthor in various adaptations. While they each left their mark on the character, they just don’t quite stack up to the eight other actors on this list who we’ll be spotlighting one by one.
Compared to actors like Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum, and Jon Cryer, Wells, Howard, Talbot, and Welliver’s performances lacked the same depth we’ll celebrate in the slides above. This is not to say that their portrayals were bad, but rather that they did not have the same impact or staying power as other actors who have played Lex over the list. For Welliver, we simply didn’t get enough of his Lex to justify giving him a place on the solo list due to the brief nature of his stint in the role.
Now that we’ve gone through our honorable mentions, let’s get into the thick of things!