With three years gone since closing out his tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Robert Downey Jr.'s recent bald look has fans calling for a Lex Luthor recast. The iconic Superman villain has made his way to the big screen with a variety of performers throughout the film, ranging from Gene Hackman to Kevin Spacey on the big screen to Michael Rosenbaum, Jon Cryer and Titus Welliver, among others, on TV. The DC Universe was introduced to Jesse Eisenberg's incarnation of Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with the post-credits of both the theatrical cut and extended versions of Zack Snyder's Justice League teasing his forming of the Injustice League, but with this Lex yet to return, audiences have another actor in mind to succeed him.This past weekend saw the host of the Academy Governor's Awards, of which former Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. showed up and surprised everyone with a completely bald look. Many subsequently took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his new appearance, with DC fans even noting his resemblance to Lex Luthor and calling for the MCU vet to take over the role in the DCU. Check out the funny reactions below:
RDJ Almost Played Lex Luthor In A Superman Movie
While some may be uncertain at the thought of the Iron Mac actor to play the iconic antagonist, it is interesting to note Downey Jr. was very close to playing Lex in a Superman movie. Long before Zack Snyder helped launch the DCU with Man of Steel, and Bryan Singer's legacy sequel Superman Returns failed to soar to any major success, a variety of Superman-focused projects saw themselves die in development hell, including Tim Burton's Superman Lives, in which Nicolas Cage would've starred as the DC hero, and it would've tied to Michael Keaton's Batman universe. One of the most notable projects was that of Superman: Flyby, described as an origin story and written by J.J. Abrams.
The project saw a revolving door of directors throughout its development, including Brett Ratner, McG and Bryan Singer, the latter of whom ultimately had his effort reworked into Superman Returns. Though a variety of actors were considered for both the roles of Superman and Lex Luthor, Downey Jr. was ultimately cast as the Man of Steel's archenemy, who was described as a government agent obsessed with UFO phenomenon who was a target for the reporting of Lois Lane. While Abrams attempted to campaign to direct the film himself following McG's departure, the studio's shift in direction ultimately led to Kevin Spacey being brought in for the part over the then-future Iron Man actor.
Could RDJ Get Another Chance At Lex?
Though he may have missed the opportunity in the past, the question now becomes whether Downey Jr. could get another chance at playing Lex Luthor in a future project. With the DCU's interconnected future still largely in doubt, it's hard to say whether Eisenberg's incarnation of the character will return, though given the recent return of Henry Cavill's Superman and upcoming return of Ben Affleck's Batman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it seems possible the Social Network actor could be brought back. That being said, given the DCU is reportedly looking to dive into the multiverse itself, and Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Superman movie still moving forward and reportedly set apart from the DCU, there are multiple options for Downey Jr. to get another shot at playing the iconic villain in the future.
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