Fan Theory: Was Lex Luthor the "Good Guy" in Batman V Superman?
Batman V Superman has come and gone but the discussions about the movie live on to this day as the [...]
Batman V Superman has come and gone but the discussions about the movie live on to this day as the DC Cinematic Universe is still in full swing.
Suicide Squad managed to push the Warner Brothers' line further into prosperity with its summer blockbuster status and with Justice League around the corner in 2017, the excitement is still palpable. Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Lex Luthor was radically different from that of his comic book counterpart, acting closer to the frantic personalities of say the Joker or the Riddle than the calm and collected businessman we typically see in media.
With the darker interpretations of both Batman and Superman however, is it possible that not only was the radical version of Lex Luthor eccentric, he may have also been altruistic? Comicbook.com fan, Ezra S, presented us with the idea that all may not be as it seems with the young Luthor.
Clearly, Lex had lost his marbles throughout the running time of Dawn of Justice, ranting and raving about Superman and the need for his destruction. The creation of Doomsday and the manipulation of Batman made for moments of Clark Kent nearly meeting his end, though Luthor's motives always seemed a tad unclear when you look at his trajectory through the film. However, it wasn't until Lex came in contact with the Kryptonian ship that things really kicked into high gear.
In the "Knightmare" sequence, we were presented with a future that saw Superman enslaving humanity with small pockets of resistance opposing him. In a deleted scene in BvS, Lex was shown communing with the Apokolips resident, Steppenwolf, clearly influencing his mind. Was Steppenwolf presenting him with a view of this very future throughout the whole film? Did Lex legitimately believe that he was saving humanity because of this?
The rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor has been a long running constant in the history of the Man of Steel, with Luthor thinking of himself as humanity's final hope to save them from an alien scourge, lead forward by his own massive egotistical desires. In the sense of Dawn of Justice, Superman came across as a terrifying idea, an alien that, in attempting to stop the Kryptonian general Zod, laid waste to large portions of Metropolis and Smallville respectively. Luthor had more than enough ammunition to label himself as the hero in this story, with even Batman agreeing with the need to reel in the Last Son of Krypton to an extent. When all is said and done, you could almost agree with some of Luthor's methods in attempting to bring down Superman (minus the kidnapping of Martha Kent and the creation of Doomsday of course). If only Lex's mother were named Martha, he may have escaped scott free!
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