Superman Makes the DCEU’s Worst Villain Even Worse

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In essence, a comic book project’s quality often hinges on its villains. An engaging hero with an intriguing character development can easily be overshadowed by a dull antagonist that may undermine the entire narrative. For instance, in the movie X-Men: Apocalypse, while characters like Magneto and Jean Grey had their standout moments, it’s the titular villain who steals the show, despite being one-dimensional with unremarkable motivations. Filmmaker James Gunn aims to dodge such pitfalls in the DC Universe, and he seems to be on track with Superman’s antagonist, Lex Luthor, whose characterization appears to be more nuanced from the start.

In the opening of Superman, Lex Luthor swiftly demonstrates his intense dislike for Superman by hurling the Hammer of Boravia at him right away. However, this is just the first move in his strategy, as he has numerous other cunning schemes hidden in his arsenal to misdirect his adversary from his ultimate objective. Lex even risks tampering with a perilous power that a villain from the DC Extended Universe is knowledgeable about, which could potentially bring about the end of the world.

Lex Luthor Has Tunnel Vision When It Comes to Superman

After Lex publishes a message that appears to be from Superman’s Kryptonian parents, it seems things are looking favorable for him. They had sent Superman to Earth with the intention of conquering it, but Lex’s negative propaganda has led people to believe that Superman is capable of this task. Despite his inner reservations, Superman ultimately surrenders himself to the U.S. government, who are eager to hand him over to Lex. Trapped in a pocket universe, Superman finds himself amongst other individuals who dare to challenge Lex. All hope seems lost until Metamorpho decides to aid Superman in his escape. Once they’ve all broken free, Superman must prevent Lex from starting a war in Jarhanpur. However, Lex escalates the situation by allowing his pocket universe to create a rift in Metropolis.

The city and its residents remain at risk as events unfold, while some of Lex’s henchmen attempt to halt the proceedings. Regrettably, Lex has become too reckless and is prepared to bring about global destruction if it means Superman meets a similar fate. However, Superman, Mister Terrific, and Krypto successfully thwart his forces and manage to reach the console in time to close the portal. Superman makes it plain that meddling with pocket universes is dangerous business, and another DC antagonist finds themselves wielding their share of such power once more.

Peacemaker’s Dad Uses Pocket Universes for Storage

In the first season of “Peacemaker”, Christopher Smith, who had a close brush with death in Corto Maltese, returns home. There, he unexpectedly encounters his father, Auggie, who’s been taking care of a pet eagle on Chris’ behalf. The two reminisce but their perspectives on heroism often clash. Despite their strained relationship, Chris can’t entirely cut ties with Auggie because the elder Smith is a brilliant tech inventor, responsible for creating all of Chris’ helmets. However, it’s not just a regular garage where Auggie works. He calls his workshop a “Quantum Unfolding Storage Area”, located in another dimension. The entrance to this place is hidden within their family home, and whenever Chris needs more helmets, he unknowingly stumbles upon his father’s White Dragon suit. It turns out that being racist is problematic on its own, but as “Superman” reveals, there’s a deeper layer of evil lurking in Auggie’s character.

As a cinephile, I found myself drawn into the captivating world of ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2, where our protagonist, Chris, seems to be following in his father’s footsteps, albeit unwittingly. Time and again, Lex’s minions caution about the perils of meddling with pocket universes, but their warnings fall on deaf ears. Much like Lex, Chris disregards their advice, leading to near-fatal consequences.

However, unlike Lex, Chris doesn’t meet his end in this adventure. Instead, his actions set the stage for a potentially dangerous encounter between him and another version of himself, hinted at in the Season 2 trailer. This other self is likely to be anything but amicable, promising a rollercoaster ride of suspense and action that I can’t wait to see unfold on screen.

Superman is in theaters now.

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2025-07-14 21:40