Credit: Marvel StudiosWhile Robert Downey Jr. might be Tony Stark for MCU fans, others noticed that he could easily switch sides and play a DC villain with his new look.
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Lex Luthor’s role in the DCU is currently up in the air as Jesse Eisenberg wasn’t well received for playing an eccentric young iteration of the iconic villain. In Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016), Lex Luthor ends up pitting Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne/Batman against Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent/Superman in an epic showdown hoping that the Dark Knight could kill the Kryptonian.
After seeing Superman’s humanity, Batman sees his mistakes and joins forces with Superman leaving Lex no choice but to create Doomsday to kill Superman. This action, in the end, kills Superman — briefly — before he is brought back from the dead in Justice League (2017).
While Robert Downey Jr. has sported a variety of looks over the years, no one was ready to see a bald RDJ at the Academy Governor’s Awards this year. Fans immediately pointed out how RDJ could play a great Lex Luthor due to his acting capabilities, and he can pull off the look:
But seriously. The internet would shit its pants if RDJ was the DCU’s new Lex Luthor
But seriously. The internet would shit its pants if RDJ was the DCU’s new Lex Luthor pic.twitter.com/9x5RGupSc6
— Chris Killian (@chriskillian) November 21, 2022
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This choice wouldn’t be the worst idea for the DCU because even though Cavill is returning, Eisenberg could be retconned as the son of the first Lex Luthor in the DCU. Eisenberg’s Luthor may have inherited Lexcorp from his father and may have attempted to assassinate his father and take his company. This would leave the older Luthor to reclaim his status, handle the new powers in the world, and keep Eisenberg’s Lex in the DCU, but no longer the main Lex Luthor.
No one would bat an eye if Robert Downey Jr. entered the DCU as the villain, as fans would be very excited to see the character return and have a more significant presence on the big screen. Lex Luthor might not have superpowers, but he is well known to use technology to help him stand a chance against enemies with powers such as Superman. Cavill’s return could pit him against Luthor again or another villain like Brainiac.
Whatever DC does to the iconic villain, it wouldn’t be hard to place RDJ in the role, and it would be a wasted opportunity if DC chooses someone else.
Do you think RDJ should play Lex Luthor? Let us know what you think!