Superman: All 11 Lex Luthor actors ranked from worst to best

3. Jon Cryer (Supergirl)

When it was announced that Jon Cryer would be playing Lex Luthor on Supergirl, I’m not going to lie my first thought was “What are the producers thinking?!” Now don’t get me wrong, I knew Cryer was a great actor; however, when you look back at his filmography his most notable roles were comedic with Cryer coming off of a 12-season run on CBS’s Two and a Half Men.

Well, I should have known better than to question the brilliant minds behind the Arrowverse as the end result was one of the best performances we’ve seen thus far!

Cryer managed to bring such depth and complexity to the character. His Lex was multifaceted and became one of the most dynamic characters in Supergirl’s run. This was a Lex with a deep-seated vendetta against Supergirl, willing to do anything to bring her down. He had this twisted sense of morality that made him both terrifying and fascinating.

While there were some standout performances in the Arrowverse, there is no denying that Cryer’s run as Lex Luthor was among the greatest surprises from the franchise. Almost like Lex himself, Cryer used the chip on his shoulder to drive him to one of the best performances of his career.