WARNING: This article includes MAJOR spoilers from the Titans season 4 premiere.Titans showrunner Greg Walker explains the major character's death in the season 4 premiere of the HBO Max drama. One of the big new developments in Titans season 4 was the introduction of Lex Luthor, played by Titus Welliver, following rumors that the Superman baddie was coming to the show. Welliver is the latest actor to bring the iconic Superman antagonist to life, joining a list of talented actors portraying Lex in live-action, including Michael Rosenbaum, Jon Cryer, and Jesse Eisenberg.
The Titans season 4 premiere, which was fittingly titled "Lex Luthor," saw Welliver's iteration of the DC character \ wanting to connect with Superboy for a very shocking reason. The episode established that Lex was dying and only had a few months left to live, which is why he wanted to spend time with Conner and prepare him to take over his legacy. However, as Mother Mayhem, one of the new Titans season 4 villains, had put things into motion, Lex's run on Titans came to a quick end as he was brutally killed off by the end of the season 4 premiere.
While Lex faced a grim fate, death doesn't always stay stick, especially in superhero and comic book properties, including Titans. Screen Rant recently chatted with Walker, who serves as the Titans showrunner for the HBO Max drama. Throughout the interview, Walker was asked if Lex is truly dead or if the Luthor mastermind may still be alive through his clever schemes. According to the Titans executive producer, "nobody's truly dead" and he implored audiences to "stay tuned," sharing the following:
As you know, a fan of the show, [we] play fast and loose with death on Titans. So, nobody's truly dead. As I like to joke around, except maybe Hank [Hall, a.k.a. Hawk,] unless we can scrape some of his DNA off the wall... I think it's gonna be hard to bring him back. But other than that, yeah, stay tuned.
How Titans Season 4 & Beyond Can Bring Lex Luthor Back
Whether it would be this season or in a potential Titans season 5, it would be too easy if the show was truly done with Lex. Unless Titans season 4 was only given permission to use Lex for one episode, with DC character rights always being a complication for the TV shows, there is no reason why Welliver couldn't come back in the future. Given the comic book nature of Titans, there are many ways for them to bring Lex back. Since Lex is always known for being several steps ahead of his rivals, it wouldn't be shocking if he had contingency plans in place in case he was suddenly killed off. Whether that would be through cloning or through other comic book elements, even though Titans had a brutal death scene for Lex, it's not hard to imagine future stories revealing that he is somehow alive.
With Superboy being a big Titans player, there is still a huge reason for Lex to come back and still factor into Conner's arc, especially as he is starting to learn more about his lineage. The only thing that could keep Lex dead is if Titans weren't allowed to use him for subsequent episodes. But if the door is open for Lex to return to Titans, it would be fun to see Welliver back for additional episodes, especially if the show ever gets to introduce Superman in this universe. Hopefully, based on Walker's statement, upcoming Titans season 4 episodes will start hinting at whether Lex is still alive.
Titans season 4, part 1, releases new episodes every Thursday up till December 1, only on HBO Max.