Superman Movie Image Supports DC Villain Theory About Lex Luthor’s Major Power Upgrade

The first image has been released for the DCU‘s lead-off movie, Superman, and the picture’s mysterious background is fueling speculation about who the film’s central antagonist will be. While audiences have known for quite some time that James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU will start on the big screen with Superman, details outside of casting have remained slim. However, given the iconic nature of Superman’s visual design, speculation has been running rampant over what the Man of Steel will wear.

However, that’s no longer a mystery, as James Gunn recently revealed the first image of Corenswet’s Superman on Threads and Instagram. While there’s plenty to talk about regarding Clark’s suit, the massive beam of energy in the background is raising questions over who Superman will fight in his franchise debut. Gunn has already revealed Lex Luthor will be in the movie (played by Nicholas Hoult), and the mysterious reveal may tease a massive power upgrade for the manipulative antagonist.

Superman Reveal Image Could Tease Lex Luthor’s Power Suit

In James Gunn’s first image of David Corenswet in his Superman suit, the hero is putting on his outfit as some sort of massive laser beam lights up the Metropolis skyline. It’s unclear what exactly the laser beam is, but audiences have been busy speculating. While details are hard to make out, perhaps most telling is the energy’s purple/pink and green color.

One theory is that the image could tease Brainiac, a cosmic-level threat most often depicted with green skin and purple/pink highlights. However, the color scheme also matches Lex Luthor’s power suit. While Lex is a terrifying villain because of his grit and intelligence, the villain is also known to sport a power suit in DC comics to enable him to battle Superman in physical brawls. While Superman is still stronger, Lex also often includes Kryptonite pieces and weaponry in the suit to avoid immediate destruction. If the colored beam is indeed teasing Lex, Superman could be in for a physical challenge with Lex and not simply an intellectual one.

Lex’s Power Suit Would Make Him Different From Every Other Cinematic Version

Though many comic book villains have only been portrayed once in film, Lex Luthor has enjoyed a long history of adaptation via remarkably talented actors. Lex was wonderfully played by Gene Hackman in Superman (1978) and a few sequels, Kevin Spacey took the part for Superman Returns, and Jesse Eisenberg offered a new take in Man of Steel and some brief moments in other DCEU films. And that’s not to mention the array of Lex Luthors on the small screen. However, the DCU’s Lex Luthor, Nicholas Hoult, could wear the suit to differentiate him from such esteemed company.

While Lex’s supersuit has appeared on the small screen (in Supergirl), it hasn’t made its way to film. It’s understandable why—there’s an interesting dichotomy in pitting the strongest man on Earth against a mere human using his mind to cause Superman problems. There are also technical limitations, and earlier Superman movies would have had a hard time putting Lex in massive armor. However, the DCU’s Superman won’t have technical limitations for a power suit, and Gunn’s script could have Lex present both a mental and physical threat to the Man of Steel.

While Lex is an iconic villain even without his suit, the DCU will invariably face comparisons to the recently-ended DCEU. Offering new takes on characters – like putting Lex in his armor – could go a long way to make the divide more clear. While it’s all speculation at this point, more details about Superman will surely arrive soon as production progresses.