Superman’s Wendell Pierce Reveals “Bone to Pick” With Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor After DC Research

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In a recent chat with the cast of Superman, it was revealed that the city of Metropolis might be hiding more scandals than initially perceived. During this conversation, veteran actor Wendell Pierce, famous for his roles in shows like The Wire, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Elsbeth, shared some fascinating insights about his character, Perry White, the legendary editor-in-chief at The Daily Planet.

When asked which DC character he’d love to share screen time with in the future, Pierce quickly mentioned Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. His reason? A 35-year-old love triangle between these characters that Pierce stumbled upon while preparing to embody The Daily Planet’s top brass.

Pierce revealed, “What struck me most when I ventured out into the world and learned about it was the startling discovery that Lex Luthor was having an affair with my wife. It’s possible that my second son is even his offspring. This, of course, means I have unfinished business with him.

In the period following the “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, Pierce is discussing a storyline about Superman, specifically one from “The World of Metropolis #1” (August 1988). During this comic, Perry White’s wife, Alice, had an affair with none other than Lex Luthor. The situation was not intentional on Alice’s part; Perry was deployed in the Army and she thought he had perished. Upon Perry’s return from service, Alice married him, and their son Jerry, born shortly after, was recognized as legitimate. However, the truth emerged in “Superman” (Volume 2) #47 (October 1990). Jerry, alongside Jimmy Olsen, became entangled with a criminal organization known as Intergang. A gunshot wound from one of the criminals landed Jerry in the hospital. When Lex Luthor appeared at the hospital with Perry and Alice to check on Jerry’s condition, both Perry and readers discovered that Jerry was not Perry’s son but rather Lex’s.

A clash between Pierce’s Perry White and Hoult’s Lex Luthor, centered around something as sensational as an illicit affair and lovechild, would be quite intriguing to witness. However, in order for this confrontation to fit within the current DC Universe, co-chairman and Superman writer/director James Gunn would need to weave some of his narrative enchantment to make their rivalry plausible. In the comics, Lex’s affair with Alice worked because they were roughly the same age; however, there is a 26-year age difference between Pierce and Hoult. To maintain consistency, Gunn might choose to portray Luthor as younger than previously depicted, rather than a contemporary of Jimmy Olsen’s for the dynamic to work effectively.

In addition, a hidden romance and offspring could lend an intriguing dimension to Hoults existing multifaceted portrayal of Lex Luthor in Superman, while also providing him with additional motivation to despise The Daily Planet and its staff. Moreover, as Pierce mentioned, it would not only offer a reason for them to interact in future DC Universe productions, but also offer both actors a captivating and deeply emotional aspect to battle over, going beyond the usual newspaper edition disputes.

Superman hits theaters July 11th.

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2025-07-09 16:11