While the DC Universe still struggles on the big screen, The CW’s universe only seems to be getting more and more ambitious as the series goes on. Not only does Supergirl have a Superman and Lois Lane in the form of Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch, but the show will soon be debuting its take on iconic villain Lex Luthor, as played by Emmy-winning Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer. And you won’t even have to wait that long until you get to see him, either, as the actor’s set to make his first appearance in the role in the 15th episode of the fourth and current season, which is scheduled to air in early January next year.
Now, Cryer doesn’t seem like an obvious choice for the character, given that he’s most famous for his role as chiropractor Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men. But other than that, he’s had a pretty varied career in film and has surprisingly even played a member of the Luthor family before. Seriously.
That was way back in 1987 when he portrayed Lennie Luthor, nephew of Lex in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Sure, I’ll be the first to admit that Superman IV is hardly the greatest piece of work an actor can have on their resume, but at least there’s a tiny bit of a wider connection to the franchise, which fits in very well with Supergirl‘s tendency to cast from the deep pool of actors previously associated with the Man of Steel.
The Supergirl team sound like they’ve had this in the pipeline for a while, too, with showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner saying the following:
“We are enormous fans of Jon Cryer, and he was instantly our dream actor to play the iconic role of Lex Luthor. Jon is a super-talent, and the fact that he played Lenny Luthor in Superman IV brings an added layer of legacy to his casting. We’re beyond thrilled to welcome Jon to the Supergirl family.”
We’ve talked about having Lex on the show since it’s inception and we’re excited to have him finally arrive. We can’t wait for him to shake things up in National City and watch him go toe-to-toe with not only Supergirl, but his sister, Lena Luthor.”
It sounds like Supergirl is determined to fully round out its cast of Superman characters, but do you think Cryer’s a good fit for the role, or is there someone you’d have rather seen as the megalomaniacal villain? Be sure to let us know!