After The Penguin, This Iconic DC Villain Is Perfect for a TV Show in James Gunn’s DCU

The Penguin has become an unexpected hit for HBO and DC Comics fans, with the Colin Farrell project putting Gotham City’s rotund gangster on the map like never before. A spinoff that acts as an interquel after the events of 2022’s The Batman, the TV series showcases the rise of Oswald Cobb as the resident criminal kingpin of Gotham. While it’s set in the “ReevesVerse” and isn’t related to James Gunn’s upcoming DC Universe, The Penguin creates the perfect formula for a potential series based on another DC Comics villain.

Lex Luthor is the epitome of evil in the world of Superman, and the villain has plagued the Man of Steel in countless comic books, movies, TV shows, cartoons and more. Characterized as both a mad scientist and a corrupt entrepreneur, Luthor’s backstory has frequently changed, but his level of impact on the DC Universe has not. The Lexcorp company in particular has had a lot of dealings in the DC Universe of the comics, with several other entrepreneurs being allies or rivals to Luthor. With shows based on villains clearly a winning formula, the DCU can take advantage of this by giving a new TV show to an antagonist who is also referred to as the greatest criminal mastermind of all time.

The Penguin Creates a Winning Formula for DC Villain Shows

Initially, it might have seemed strange to give The Penguin his own TV series. After all, he was initially one of Batman’s goofiest villains in the classic comic books, with the character originally portrayed as a corpulent criminal who frequently used silly, gimmick-laden umbrellas against Batman and Robin. A sort of parody of members of old-school high society, this interpretation has since become as outdated as the archetype of a detective walking around in a trenchcoat and fedora while monologuing about a proverbial dark and stormy night. Likewise, The Penguin has almost always been less popular compared to villains such as The Joker, Two-Face and even The Riddler, so giving him his own show seemed especially questionable.

Nevertheless, Colin Farrell’s updated interpretation of the villain in The Batman was widely praised, with the modern mobster version being seen as a welcome change that also reflected the comic book incarnation from the past several years. For this reason, it made sense to use The Penguin as a point-of-view character to look at Gotham’s criminal underworld without Batman constantly around. The result has been nothing short of astounding, with The Penguin praised as a noir crime drama classic that’s now frequently compared to The Sopranos. Not only does it flesh out Oswald’s own life and showcase his complexities, but it also expands this version of Gotham City beyond what was seen in The Batman.

As noted, the overall scope, tone and genre of the show fit the Penguin character and use him to the fullest, which makes the series much more than just another comic book/superhero show. In fact, it being the farthest thing from a superhero TV show actually makes it better, which might be part of why so many people who are otherwise uninterested in normal superhero programming are praising the series. This concept could easily be applied to other DC villains, with one in particular more than worthy of the idea. A Lex Luthor TV series can function in the same way as The Penguin, with the character being tied to a superhero without the show itself being a superhero series.

Instead, it can focus on the corrupt business dealings of the Lexcorp company amid Luthor’s many amoral experiments, showcasing how he plots to both combat Superman and stake his claim to control Metropolis and the world at large. In this way, it could be a sort of science fiction equivalent to shows such as Succession or even the classic series Mad Men, combining boardroom drama and corporate espionage/intrigue with sci-fi overtones amid a shared superhero universe. Lex Luthor fits all of these scopes and tones, and using two of his most iconic comic books for influence can help make the potential TV show come to life.

Two Iconic Comics Could Influence a Lex Luthor TV Series

First Post-Crisis Lex Luthor Appearance: Man of Steel #4 by John Byrne

Lex Luthor is already confirmed for the new DC Universe of movies and TV shows, with his debut being in 2025’s Superman reboot by James Gunn. He’ll be portrayed by Nicholas Hoult in the new shared universe, with the villain likely making several other appearances in other projects. Given the success of The Penguin, one way to further flesh out the DCU Lex Luthor would be to give him his own TV series on the Max streaming service. One advantage that Luthor has is that, unlike The Penguin, he has a lot more stories in which he’s the main antagonist. In fact, two stories in particular could make for great inspirations for the potential TV series.

The post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of Lex Luthor was reimagined from being a mad scientist into a corrupt business owner, with John Byrne and Marv Wolfman both going to great lengths to update the formerly cartoonish villain. This resulted in a later book titled Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography, which involved a man looking into the unscrupulous early days and rise of Lex Luthor. Superman himself is almost completely absent from the story, which clings far more to the mystery/noir/crime genres than superhero fiction. In fact, Clark Kent himself is barely seen, with his superhero alter ego only briefly seen as a flashing blue and red silhouette.

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The true focus was on Luthor’s criminal background and his connection to Metropolis. The definitive look at the villain for years since, this series helped to flesh out the new interpretation of Superman’s arch enemy. Another book that could be looked at for inspiration is Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. This book was based around the post-Infinite Crisis incarnation of the villain, which was an amalgam of his evil entrepreneur and mad scientist interpretations. It cemented the more modern characterization of Luthor seeing Superman as an alien threat to the development of mankind, with the human race instead relying on the Big Boy Scout to solve its problems instead of using their own ingenuity.

​​​​​​​A parallel book to the later Joker comic by the same creative team, the Azzarello/Bermejo Lex Luthor series truly showcases Luthor’s relationship with the wider DC Universe, including business rival Bruce Wayne/Batman. That broader connection is needed for the new cinematic DC Universe that’s about to unfold, and it makes sense if Lex receives a major push at the beginning of this shared universe.

Luthor Will Be the DCU’s First Major villain

As noted, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor will be in the upcoming 2025 Superman movie. Though he’ll be sharing the screen with Wildstorm character The Engineer and perhaps another mysterious foe, the movie will help to establish the latest incarnation of the villain on the big screen. Given that The Engineer is far from a mainstream foe, even among DC fans, it means that Lex Luthor will be the first major villain seen in a DCU movie. This puts a lot of emphasis on him, especially since he’ll likely be in several other shows and movies down the line.

At the moment, it’s unknown what other iconic DC villains will appear in Gunn’s initial “Gods and Monsters” DC Universe phase. While it’s known that Anya Chalotra will appear as the Wonder Woman enemy Circe in the animated series Creatures Commandos, the jury is out on when she’ll actually face the Amazing Amazon herself. This can be used to make Luthor the villainous face of the DCU, all the while cementing Superman as the shared universe’s “main hero.” There’s definitely been an overemphasis on Batman and his supporting cast in the comic books and other media, with The Joker hogging all of the spotlight among DC villains.

The recent failure of the musical sequel Joker: Folie à Deux showcases the limits of overusing the Clown Prince of Crime and other Batman-adjacent characters, so it may be time to pivot to the Man of Steel and other DC heroes. This more equalized focus may already be set in stone given that the DCU Batman movie — The Brave and the Bold — doesn’t have Batman or Robin’s names in the title. By giving Lex Luthor his own TV show, the DCU can make the villain more important than ever while also helping to diversify DC’s offerings beyond The Dark Knight and his rogues gallery.

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A DCU Lex Luthor Show Can Utilize the Character’s Broad History

Lex Luthor is one of many DC Comics characters who’s changed a lot over the years, with the villain arguably being characterized more differently than even Superman himself. Starting out as a sort of war profiteer in the Golden Age of Comics, Luthor transitioned into a mad scientist role in the Silver Age. The Richard Donner Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve made him into a sort of fusion between these two earlier incarnations, having him essentially be a criminal “real estate” agent using all manner of scientific trickery to achieve his goals. The post-Crisis version was a corrupt industrialist who had his hands in all manner of evil schemes, though he usually had his lackeys engage in the mad science experiments for him.

There’s a lot to the character and how he’s been portrayed over the years, which is something that the DCU can bring to life. Compared to the DC Extended Universe, the DC Universe is meant to embody more classic versions of DC heroes and villains. This is especially the case with Superman himself, who will be portrayed in a more traditional manner than what was done with the Henry Cavill version of Superman. By using different incarnations as an inspiration, the wide gamut of Superman and Lex Luthor portrayals can be showcased on the big and small screen. This can be particularly well done in a TV show, which will have more time to focus on character than a two and a half-hour movie. For instance, a Lex Luthor TV series could show Lex’s youth and early obsession with science, and how he uses this knowledge as an adult to attack Superman and build a business empire.

He might even be shown selling weapons to governments around the world and — in a joking homage to the Donner movies — temporarily work in real estate. Given that James Gunn has mentioned that Azzarello’s Luthor is a big inspiration for the DCU Lex Luthor, going in this direction would make a lot of sense. It would also capture the entirety of the villain in one fell swoop, giving audiences the ultimate rendition of him that’s both new and also familiar to anyone who’s seen previous shows or movies. Perhaps most importantly, it will continue DC’s current conquest of the TV landscape, which is already happening thanks to both The Penguin and the continuing Peacemaker TV show. Hopefully, a TV show for Lex Luthor would be just one of several spotlights on DC foes, making these classic bad guys as iconic and renowned across the world as their heroic counterparts.

Superman flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.

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Follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth and justice in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.

Release Date

July 11, 2025

Cast

Nicholas Hoult , Rachel Brosnahan , Skyler Gisondo , David Corenswet

Main Genre

Superhero