Superman Star Sees “Dom and Sub” Relationship Between Character and Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is stuck in an eternal struggle with Superman. He doesn’t believe an alien should have a say in human affairs, especially when he benefits from people finding themselves in desperate situations. To strike back at the Man of Steel, Lex makes all sorts of moves, including building incredibly powerful suits of armor and running for president. Another tactic that the villain uses is sending his lackeys to do his dirty work. As far back as Richard Donner’s first Superman movie, Lex’s goons make life difficult for Clark Kent’s alter ego. However, James Gunn’s Superman is making Lex less of a boss and more of a partner.

As the marketing for the 2025 film reveals, Lex is in cahoots with various parties that all appear to want to knock Superman down a peg. There’s one person, in particular, who sees more action than most: the Engineer. While her connection to Superman’s rival is a bit of a mystery, the actress behind Angela Spica, María Gabriela de Faría, is diving into her character’s motivations ahead of the movie’s release on July 11.

During an appearance on the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast to promote Superman, de Faría talked about why the Engineer finds herself drawn to Lex. “Okay, Angie really believes in this better world, and probably, she had some trauma when she was a kid that she felt the need to be part of that change,” she said. “You know, whatever that means and whatever she had to do to make it happen. So, she is a good person at heart that’s extremely broken and is willing to team up with Lex to get rid of what he believes are evil aliens, Superman.”

Rather than seeing Lex as a means to an end, though, de Faría explained that there could be something more to the relationship between her character and the iconic DC villain. “But then I also think that they have a secret relationship, and I kept telling James like, ‘I feel like they f***,’” she continued. “And like, Lex is so, you know, he’s so serious, and then he has this gorgeous, gorgeous girlfriend that he treats terribly. So, I’m like, what if, like, you know, after hours, Engineer gets really mean with Lex, and he loves it.”

Host Frankey Smith even described the theory as a “dom sub thing,” which de Faría was all about. Of course, the actress made it clear that the idea was her own headcanon, not something Gunn necessarily thought about while making the movie. However, if it comes to pass, Superman may have more on his plate than he can handle.

[RELATED – DC Confirms the Comic Book Stories That Inspired James Gunn’s Superman Movie

Superman Has His Hands Full in His First DC Universe Movie

Superman‘s trailer shows the Man of Steel going through it. The first time the character appears, he’s looking worse for wear, and it’s not even obvious which villain put a beating on him. He’s going up against a kaiju, Ultraman, the Hammer of Barovia, and who knows what else. And it’s not like he can just run to the Fortress of Solitude after every fight because the marketing reveals that Lex finds it and sends the Engineer in to do some serious damage with her nanotechnology.

In addition to his incredible abilities, the main thing on Superman’s side is his humanity. He’s sure to reach out to some of these villains and try to get them to understand his side of things. However, de Faría’s comments make it seem like the Engineer isn’t going to be in a listening mood during the events of Superman. She’s on Lex’s team for better or worse, even if it lands her on the wrong side of history.

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.

Are you excited to see the Engineer in Superman? What do you think her relationship with Lex will be like? Let us know in the comments below!