Why Jon Cryer is an odd choice to play Supergirl's Lex Luthor

The Mary Sue

"Lex Luthor works as a villain because he genuinely believes he can outwit Superman and the forces of good," says Chelsea Steiner, pointing to Lex Luthor portrayals like Gene Hackman's in the original Superman movies. "I picture Lex Luthor as someone who is more Dick Cheney than Mark Zuckerberg." She says Cryer's casting as Lex: "The actor’s onscreen persona leads me to believe that he will be another in the current trend of nebbishy, nerdy Lex Luthor portrayals. The trend started with Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Luthor in the DCEU as a criminally insane nerd whose lust for power is belied by his skittish, nervous mannerisms. But this (like nearly everything else about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) rubs me the wrong way. Call me old school, but I prefer a smooth-talking, self-possessed Luthor in the vein of Michael Rosenbaum’s portrayal in Smallville. In addition to being a genius, Lex Luthor’s greatest power is his ability to manipulate the people around him to do his bidding. Luthor’s lethal charisma is his chief weapon, which allows him to hide in plain sight as a billionaire businessman of Metropolis." ALSO: Cryer's casting means no one's age makes sense on Supergirl.