Why the Arrowverse's Lex Luthor Actor Won't Return as Superman and Lois

Arrowverse Lex Luthor actor Jon Cryer explains why he won't be returning for Superman & Lois Season 3 as the villain is being recast.

Despite playing the character for nearly five years, Arrowverse's Lex Luthor actor Jon Cryer explains why he won't be returning for Superman & Lois season 3. The Two and a Half Heroes alum, who made his Arrowverse debut as the iconic DC villain in Supergirl season 4, initially went to jail after a few fights with Tyler Hoechlin's Superman, but Eventually escaped after Supergirl and Superman thwarted his plan to assassinate his half-sister Lena. Despite initially dying at the hands of his sister, Lex was resurrected by the Anti-Monitor during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, and eventually the world saw him as the good guy, only for his plans to destroy the Fortress of Solitude and join his mother Lillian work, which eventually led to his death.

As the show's return date approached, fans took to Twitter to discuss a recent report claiming that Lex Luthor would appear in Superman & Lois season 3, expressing their desire to see Green The Arrowverse's Jon Cryer is back in the role. The Supergirl actor instead revealed he won't be reprising the iconic DC villain, citing scheduling conflicts and a change in creative direction for the role. Check out what Cryer shared below:

Would’ve been fun.But I’m not sure I could’ve played Lex on @cwsupermanlois even if they wanted to do this.I’m supposed to start shooting a new series for NBC in February. https://t.co/xwOBHtUuRx— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) December 14, 2022

But I do reserve the right to have @BitsieTulloch play pranks on the new guy and send me the video.— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) December 14, 2022

How Lex Could Factor Into Superman & Lois Season 3

While there's no official confirmation from DC or The CW that Lex Luthor will appear in Superman & Lois Season 3, the next chapter of the show does seem to be setting up the villain's presence. Plot details for the new season point to a confrontation between Hoechlin's Iron Man and the Intergang, who previously appeared in Superman & Lois season 1, but this time led by Bruno Mannheim and played by The Walking Dead alum Chad L. Coleman. While most incarnations of the group in the comics see Mannheim and Darkseid as their leaders, some see Lex taking over the mantle, if Coleman's role is small, for Superman Having this change of power with Louise season 3 opens the door to more than just cameos.

Even though he doesn't seem to be related to Intergang, the general length of Superman vs. Lois seasons suggests the necessity of multiple villains, making it an argument for Lex to at least appear in a cameo, if only to establish his future on the show. luthor has been mentioned before in superman & Lois season 1, despite its ties to an alternate reality, and given the show's multifaceted connections to the Arrowverse, it's not hard for Luthor to be a threat to the titular Kent family. Also, given that both Superman and Lois believe that Irons is kin to Lex, there is precedent for him to actually exist in this universe, and may end up taking issue with Kryptonian superheroism as in the comics .

Other Actors Who Would Make Great Luthors

While Cryer may have received widespread acclaim from Arrowverse fans during his franchise, there are many other actors, both familiar with the role and not yet exposed to it, who could play Lex Luthor Superman vs. Lois 3 Season's cloak. Despite only making a brief appearance in Titans season 4, Titus Welliver proved chilling as Lex in the HBO Max series, while Michael Rosenbaum Smallville is still a fan-favorite choice ending a decade later. From Man of Steel's Christopher Meloni to Star Trek: Discovery's Jason Isaacs, with some fans casting everyone in the cast, only time will tell who ends up bringing Lex to life as Superman & Lois Season 3 arrives in March.