Though Supergirl tells the story of Kara Zor-El first and foremost, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid certain hallmarks of the DC Universe due to her being the cousin of Superman. As such, Tyler Hoechlin has already shown up as Big Blue on several occasions – and will return this fall for the “Elseworlds” crossover – not to mention other vital characters such as James Olsen and Cat Grant putting in appearances.
So, naturally, one would think Lex Luthor wouldn’t be far behind, but aside from seeing him as a child during a flashback sequence, he’s been merely name-dropped around National City. Still, the likes of Lena and Lillian have filled the void in a sense, with the latter actually beating her son to the punch by being the first to don the Lexo suit in live action.
In the very near future though, we’ll meet the Arrowverse’s version of Lex Luthor himself, as it was recently confirmed he’ll show up in a recurring role some time in season 4. Whether or not he’ll get out of prison remains to be seen, but I’m nonetheless excited to welcome one of my favorite villains to the series.
Weighing in on the situation was James Olsen himself, Mehcad Brooks, who had this to say in an interview with Decider:
“We’ve seen a lot of brooding James, we’ve seen a lot of his passion for saving people and protecting people and safety. So that’s gonna be amazing. Lex coming back… Lex tried to kill me! That’s not a lot of fun. Obviously there’s gonna be a fraught situation between Lex and James and Lena, but we do drama really well.”
Even though this iteration of Lex may be new to we the viewers, it’s important we not forget the history he has with James, Lena and Superman himself. I guess filling in the blanks will be part of the allure.
As for the waiting game, Smallville veterans such as Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum each have supporters of their own, but I’m guessing the latter won’t be cast in order to avoid confusion. It’s very seldom any actor reprises a former role in a separate continuity, though fingers remain crossed for Welling to become the first man to portray both Superman and Lex Luthor in live action.
Supergirl airs on Sunday nights on The CW.
