Corenswet was a perfect choice. Nevertheless, director James Gunn thought Hoult would be a better fit for the rich, enraged Earthling that became obsessed with bringing Superman down, turning him into the best Lex Luthor we’ve ever had.
It made for a brilliant choice, because when these two share the screen sparks fly faster than speeding bullets. Corenswet’s Kryptonian displays a super level of restraint from pummelling the man whose hatred for him is practically seeping through every pore, bringing the perfect shade of darkness to an otherwise bright film and making sure not to tip too far into edgy territory we’ve been in before. And yet even with this friction, Clark and Lex’s rivalry echoes that of another from a competing comic book franchise. There’s is a relationship blooming here that resembles another built on the same kind of jealousy, pride and a twisted layer of admiration that has flourished in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011. If they’re lucky, Superman and Lex could be Thor and Loki of the DCU, and could see the villain of the duo loved in a way we’ve never seen on screen before.
