I decided to jump into the world of Superman for the first time after the death of Gene Hackman. As an Indiana male, I was more than familiar with his inspiring role in the underdog sports story Hoosiers, but for some reason, never watched the film franchise that some might know him best from. Now that I'm through Superman II and have seen him in the role twice, I'm ready to crown Hackman as the best Lex Luthor actor.
Maybe it's a bold proclamation, especially with James Gunn's Superman coming up this summer, and Nicholas Hoult is set to play the villain in the summer blockbuster. That said, after sharing some thoughts about how Superman II did General Zod a disservice, I'm ready to use this film to showcase why Hackman may be the best to ever play the iconic DC villain.
Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor Best Highlights The Character's Biggest Superpower, Manipulation
Comic book fans may point to Lex Luthor's intellect as what gives him an edge over most heroes. There's no denying he has the brains to outmaneuver many heroes, but that factors into what I believe is his greatest attribute. Luthor is a master of manipulation and can sell just about anyone on his ideologies and schemes.
We see this on display in Superman II with how easily he manipulated Zod and the Kryptonians. He showed up with the knowledge that Superman is the son of Jor-El, whom they understandably hold a grudge against, seeing as he trapped them in the Phantom Zone all those years ago. All Luthor wants in return for this information is Australia, which he knows is meaningless to these foreign invaders.
Let's think about this, though. Did Zod ever need Lex Luthor's help in the first place? I can't help but think that had the villain never escaped prison, the invading Kryptonians would've run into Superman and inevitably sussed out who his father was.
And yet, Luthor has them convinced he's vital for this plan, and had it worked out, he would've had control of an entire continent all in exchange for selling out someone he tried to get rid of a while ago. Of course, the plan fell through, and he ultimately was left in the Arctic Circle when it all blew up, but he could've pulled it off had anyone but Superman been around.
His Ability to Quickly And Shamelessly Turn On A Dime To Save Himself Is Fantastic
One of my favorite scenes of Superman II is when the Man of Steel tricks the Kryptonians into thinking he removed his powers, when in actuality, it was the other way around. Lex Luthor, realizing the jig is up, manages to concoct a story that he was aware of the plan all along and gave the performance of a lifetime to help drive his arch nemesis' scheme across the goal line.
He's full of it, and Superman isn't the slightest bit fooled by it, but you have to admire just how shameless he is in trying. Lex Luthor is a survivor first and foremost, and the second he feels the tides turning against him, he's going to flip and try to find the best chance to make another run for power where he can.
I imagine it's easy to have that kind of confidence when escaping a high-security prison is as simple as having your girlfriend fly a hot air balloon over the prison yard and drop a ladder. I still find it hilarious that this plan works out, even given the campy nature of Superman II. It works because of what this movie is all about, but imagine how people would react if we saw this happen in the upcoming Superman movie. .
Ultimately, Gene Hackman's portrayal of being so shameless and quick to betray shows why Lex Luthor is such a villain at his core. He sits behind a facade of nobility as though he's working for the greater good of humanity when it comes to stopping Superman. In actuality, everything he does is solely for his own interests and as a means to secure power. He has no real morals driving him other than doing what he can to save his own skin, which is what makes him so hard to like.
Lex Luthor's True Power Lies In His Ability To Influence, And Manipulate Lesser Minds Like Superman
One thing that crossed my mind when watching Superman II is that so many of Lex Luthor's schemes wouldn't work if Clark Kent weren't so naive and a little dense. I mean, let's be honest, when you're nigh-invincible and can punch your way out of every problem, you don't really have to be incredibly booksmart and can afford to be more trusting of people's intentions than not. Even so, Superman is a decently smart fellow, and I think I've never given Lex Luthor enough credit for how brilliant he is.
Does Gene Hackman's Luthor have plot armor that helps him conveniently obtain all the knowledge he needs to get the upper hand on Superman? Of course he does. At the same time, the best thing about the way Hackman plays it is that I never believe for a second that he feels he's incapable of getting out of whatever predicament he's in.
Hackman's Luthor is one of the few character portrayals in superhero movies that I think cannot be topped. It can be imitated and duplicated, but I believe we saw the best there ever was to do it far too early into Lex Luthor's journey in cinema, and its been hard for anyone since to match the level at which he perfected the character. Maybe I'll be proven wrong after seeing another actor down the line take on the villain, but I'm feeling pretty confident I won't.
Those looking to revisit or experience Superman II for the first time can watch the movie on Max. I'm eager to continue my journey through the Christopher Reeve movies, though I've been warned by many on staff I should temper my expectations for what's ahead now that the first two movies are out of the way.
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