Calm down, everyone; just calm down. Remember that rumor that Bryan Cranston has been cast as Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman? Well, that’s all just fine, but apparently Bryan Cranston himself was unaware of this little factoid.
While the Internet exploded following the reveal of Ben Affleck as Batman, the news that Cranston might be playing Luthor got slightly less play. Then some unsubstantiated rumors began to swirl, most of them fueled first by Cranston’s offhand remark that Lex Luthor is a ‘lovable, sweet man.’ The spiraling really began when it was claimed that Cranston had signed on for six films. None of this, it appears, is quite true.
Here’s what Cranston said in a recent interview with Boston.com:
I think that maybe my name is bandied about because I’m known to be bald. ‘What bald guy can we get?’ The reality is they can take any actor and shave his head or put a bald cap on him.
Bam. While this doesn’t quite rule Cranston out as a potential Luthor, it seems that he has not yet been cast.
Arguments continue apace about just who SHOULD play Luthor – Cranston and Mark Strong have both been mentioned as good casting choices. Let’s note that so far the casting on Batman vs. Superman has been a wee bit surprising, though. Did anyone really predict that Ben Affleck of all people was going to be Batman? How about when the relatively unknown (and British) Henry Cavill took on the part of Superman? No? All right, so maybe Luthor will be someone totally out of left field.
Cranston might actually make me semi-interested in Batman vs. Superman, but I suspect that I’m in the minority. Honestly, between fanboys having a fit over Ben Affleck and the generally bored feeling I got from Man of Steel, I’m already pretty much done with this movie and it’s not even close to 2015 yet.
But let’s open the floor to people who are excited about the film! Would Cranston make a passable Lex Luthor? How about Mark Strong? Or perhaps someone we haven’t even touched on yet. Bruce Willis is bald too; maybe they can cast Bruce.
