In the trailer for Superman, Lex Luthor’s company is shown to be LuthorCorp and not LexCorp. The former was the name given to the company in the TV series Smallville, which was essentially a Superman prequel. While the new movie for the Man of Steel isn’t an origin story for the hero, it might actually end up being one for his arch enemy, especially given the state of his company.
Lex Luthor’s Company Isn’t LexCorp in the DCU
As noted, the company that Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor controls in Superman 2025’s first trailer is shown to be LuthorCorp instead of the usual LexCorp. Despite the similarities, there is a key distinction in the two titles. LexCorp debuted in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, with John Byrne and Marv Wolfman radically changing Superman’s mythos for a new era. In the post-Crisis reboot, Lex Luthor was changed from a corny mad scientist into a corrupt 1980s entrepreneur, with his company LexCorp having its hands in all kinds of machinations.
These controlled much of what went on in Metropolis, but Luthor also had a major influence around the world. LexCorp represented the “legitimacy” that Luthor masqueraded with, and in a way, it was a sort of cultural and societal strength that even Superman himself couldn’t overcome. After the popularity of these rebooted comics, many adaptations used such elements in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Ruby Spears Superman cartoon used post-Crisis elements such as Lex Luthor being a corrupt business owner, with Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Superman: The Animated Series and the DC Animated Series also having him run LexCorp. The next major adaptation did the same, but with a twist, with said series combining several elements of Superman’s history. Smallville was a TV series showcasing the youth of Clark Kent in the titular small Kansas town before he becomes Superman.
There was also Lex Luthor, with their friendship-turned-rivalry evoking the Superboy/Lex Luthor relationship in the Silver Age comics. The post-Crisis idea of LexCorp was adapted as LuthorCorp, with this company being run by Lex’s father Lionel at the series’ beginning. Once the series concluded, Lionel was dead and Lex, wanting to be free of his abusive father’s influence, changed the family company to LexCorp. This was a major development in the show, and it may be used again in the new DC Universe.
How Lex Luthor Will Mirror the DCU’s Superman
It’s been solidified by Superman director and DC Studios creative lead James Gunn that the new film will not be an origin story. It will take place after Superman himself has already publicly debuted, with other heroes such as Green Lantern also established. The main crux of the story will see Superman trying to do his best in a cynical world that doesn’t quite gel with his more traditional heroism, with the naive Man of Steel retaining his and inspiring humanity’s better angels.
Ironically, the movie might take the opposite approach with Lex Luthor, especially if the character truly does match his interpretation in Smallville. Though he hasn’t been mentioned or cast, it’s possible that Lex Luthor’s father, Lionel, is still alive in the DCU and runs LuthorCorp, with his son firmly in his shadow. By the end of the movie, Lex may take the company for himself through a series of depraved actions, renaming it and reshaping it in his own image as he intends to do with the rest of the world.
This would be the opposite of Superman, who will truly cement his own heroism by the film’s end. There’s also another way to do this sort of moral devolution for Lex, and it would be another inversion of Superman’s status quo. Per the trailer for Superman, Clark’s adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, and his adoptive mother, Martha Kent, are still alive and well. When combined with his romance with Lois Lane, Superman has the best support system possible, and it’s a sharp contrast with the DC Extended Universe.
On the other hand, Lionel Luthor may be dead, with Lex still trying to get his own life and the family company out of his shadow. In fact, this take on Lionel might be a far more benevolent character. By the end of the film, he may have completely rejected any sort of morality or sense of family ties that Lionel tried to give him after renaming the company, and he could similarly cut ties with Eve Tessmacher, his love interest from Superman: The Movie who’s been cast in the film. This would make him the complete opposite of Superman, cementing how, between the two of them, it’s the flying alien who’s the most human.
This Beloved DC TV Show Might Influence the DCU’s Lex Luthor
Smallville was a very beloved TV series and served an important role in the grand scheme of things. Following Christopher Reeve’s unfortunate paralysis and failed attempts to restart and reboot the Superman film series, Smallville kept the Man of Steel alive in the early 2000s. It also helped to make Clark Kent more human to modern audiences, and that was especially the case with Lex Luthor.
Before Smallville, the best adaptation of Lex was in Superman: The Animated Series, with other portrayals either being widely divergent or focusing more on the outdated Silver Age incarnation. Various cartoons used the classic mad scientist Lex as a focus, while Gene Hickman’s Lex Luthor in the live-action Superman movies was essentially an original take on the villain. Even John Shea’s version in Lois & Clark felt only somewhat like the comics, namely because he kept his hair for so long.
Smallville succeeded at having a Lex Luthor that was both manipulatively charismatic while also being human. He was far more than just a mustache-twirling bad guy, and his relationship with Lionel added several layers to him. Fans could clearly see how he would become the iconic DC Comics villain, even becoming a Machiavellian president by a certain point. At the same time, there was a degree of earnestness and gravitas to him that elevated the character beyond perhaps even the source material.
He was also masterfully portrayed by Michael Rosenbaum, and many fans, including James Gunn, have stated that this is their favorite take on Lex Luthor. Thus, it’s likely no coincidence that the DCU Luthor is seemingly taking key elements from Smallville. If that’s reflected in the quality of how the villain is written, it will finally give audiences the best cinematic take on Superman’s nemesis yet, all while evoking the best TV incarnation.
