After four seasons of name-checks and nods, Lex Luthor will finally debut in the Arrowverse later this season on Supergirl. Yes, as you’ve surely heard by now, Superman’s nemesis will be brought to life this time by Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer, whose DC history goes back to 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace when he played Lex’s dim-witted nephew Lenny.
Due to the fact that the actor is most well known for his comedic roles, fans were initially skeptical when it was announced that Cryer would be stepping into the shoes of the iconic bald-headed bad guy, with some lamenting that Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum wasn’t asked to return. Supergirl exec producers Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller have since promised though that Cryer’s the perfect person to bring Lex to life, and while it remains to be seen if they’re right, we can at least start to form an idea now of what’s in store for us.
And that’s because The CW has released our first look at the Two and a Half Men star in the role via the image in the gallery below, giving us a great shot of the actor in character as he gets ready to bring a new version of Luthor to the screen.
All things considered, he looks pretty much how we expected him to, and while it’s still far too early to say how he’ll match up to the previous actors to have played the villain, it at least seems as if The CW has nailed his appearance. Not to mention that Cryer actually does look kind of menacing here and not like someone who’s most well known for his comedy.
Though it remains to be seen how exactly Lex will factor into season 4, his arrival means that just about all of the major players from Superman lore are now rolling around the Arrowverse. Maybe we’ll even get to see Cryer’s Luthor face off against Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel? Perhaps in that rumored Supes spinoff show (even though it likely isn’t happening)?
Time will tell, but though we initially questioned the decision to cast him, it’s starting to look like Jon Cryer will be able to deliver a chilling performance as the iconic villain and we can’t wait to see him in action later this year on Supergirl.