DC's Titans on HBO Max unveiled the first look at Titus Welliver as Superman villain Lex Luthor.
In a photo provided by Entertainment Weekly, Welliver's bearded Lex Luthor is shown speaking to Anna Diop's Starfire. "You usually have to do this whole dog-and-pony show to get an actor to do the show," showrunner Greg Walker told EW about casting Welliver in the role. "But when I called to kind of lure him in, I could barely get a word in. We were talking on the phone and he was just walking through his library, telling me about all his Wolfman/Perez Titans editions. He's a giant, giant fan. He'd watched every episode of the show, and could tell me about certain stories, certain shots. It was the most unexpected call I've ever had."
Walker also went on to explain how the Luthor that appears in Titans will challenge the titular heroes with his brand of villainy since the threat he poses is largely psychological as one of the most famous DC supervillains of all time. "He has a very sensitive, thoughtful approach to evil and power," Walker continued.
"You know what he's done, what he's capable of doing, except like many of those people, he's personable," he said. "He doesn't have a cat on his lap. Yeah. He's curious, which I think is very interesting about his character. He wants to know about people and what makes them tick, and how they're different from him. He sees the world through the lens both of his own power and his own inadequacy, and tries to compensate for both."
The showrunner also hinted at Luthor's relationship with Superboy, played by Joshua Orpin, who was created from a combination of Superman and Luthor's DNA. "We're really going deeper in all these characters and shaking them up," Walker explained. "What shakes Conner up is an identity story. He's explored his Superman self, but he has not really explored his Lex self. What does that mean when you do? What happens when you give that self the keys to the car?"
It was reported in February that Lex Luthor would appear in Season 4 of Titans, apparently "towards the beginning" of the newest season, though he wouldn't become a regular character. Reportedly, Walker was focused more on making Luthor's screentime "memorable" than anything else. Season 4 was announced during DC FanDome 2021 and is expected to run for 13 episodes.
The first three seasons of Titans are streaming now on HBO Max. Season 4 does not yet have a release date, but is expected to premiere on HBO Max in November.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
