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Summary
What if Robert Downey Jr. crossed over toDCand step into the shoes of Lex Luthor oppositeSuperman ? That hypothesis was almost a reality thanks to a high - profilecanceled DC moviefrom the former 2000s . Just imagine the MCU ’s Iron Man , infusing Luthor ’s insensate , compute demeanor with his trademark theatrics and elan , metamorphose the patronizing - nemesis of Superman into a figure that is both hazardously genius and unexpectedly human .
With the Superman franchise being reboot withthe upcomingSuperman Legacy , Lex Luthor will once more bring together theDC movie timeline . While Robert Downey Jr. wo n’t play him , the Oscar - name actor understands beautifully flawed characters well than anyone , and his missed opportunity stay one of DC ’s biggest . Crucially , Superman movie are only as good as the equilibrate act of its two most salient characters . To think how end the DCEU come to seeing this reality play out is enticing , to say the least .
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Robert Downey Jr Was Once Cast As Lex Luthor
Five long time before he first played Tony Stark inIron Man(2009 ) and stepped into a career - define role , Robert Downey Jr. was cast for an as legendary but altogether dissimilar character as Lex Luthor . While many may not even know about thelostSuperman : Flybymovie , RDJ ’s role in it may be even less well - sleep with . It ’s a fun scenario to imagine : the provocative RDJ version of Lex Luthor squaring off against Superman .
Director McG revealed Robert Downey Jr was cast as Lex Luthor in 2012 interview withIndiewire
Before Bryan Singer took the lead forSuperman Returns , another projection was in the whole kit , an early Superman reboot with a screenplay penned by a untried J.J. Abrams . Director McG was finally task with handling this earlier reboot before result due to logistic issues . concluding casting decisions had n’t been made for other roles , although name like Henry Cavill , ScarlettJohansson , and Shia LaBeouf were reportedly considered for various characters.
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Why RDJ Would Have Made A Great Lex Luthor
Few thespian are more capable of breathing life into their character than Robert Downey Jr. , and the opinion of him breathing fresh life into such an ill-famed and legendary supervillain as Lex Luthor is huge . Given his performance as Tony Stark , who balanced charisma with an built-in shadow , it ’s easily imaginable to see RDJ doing similar in the role of Lex Luthor . His performance manner could have grounded the scoundrel and made him feel more human and relatable , which is fundamental to the most complex of villain performances .
It ’s not hard imagine RDJ act the complicated , two - faced variation of Lex Luthor , who squirm between his realities of smart , funny , charming and suave billionaire and his baser instincts of lusting for power and fright of the uncontrollable . HadSuperman : Flybyprogressed , we might have see a Lex Luthor who was perversely dark in a agency that almost anyone can uncomfortably relate to . A version of the villain that is as much anti - hero as an outright pitiless scoundrel . RDJ has the range of acting skills , past experience in similar roles , and the personality to carry the part to any of these realities .
It ’s sluttish to think Robert Downey Jr. take on on the character and realise him relatable to audiences
plump from the lead Avenger to the one supervillain that can go toe - to - toe with the Kryptonian God would total a layer the franchise has n’t experienced before . It ’s well-situated to imagine RDJ taking on the part and making him relatable to audience or how he would invent and suit up in the infamous power suit that demonstrate a match for even Superman . His start the League of Doom instead of being a drawing card in the Avengers would have been the ultimate glum mirror to realism .
Why McG’s Superman Was Canceled
WhenSuperman : Flyby- whose claim was actually articulate to beSuperman : Man Of Steeldespite the net ’s philia for the alternate championship - initially come to light in 2001 , McG was the first name sequester . He then pretermit out forCharlie ’s Angelsand was replaced by Brett Ratner . Ratner , who took over in September 2002 , faced important challenges , particularly when it came to sick the lead theatrical role . He considered several prominent actors , include Josh Hartnett and Jude Law , but fight to get anyone to commit due to the likely obligations and time commitment required for future continuation .
Christopher Reeve , the legendary original Superman , fall in as a project consultant , advocating for vagabond an unknown worker in the lead role . This would completely work around the proceeds and flip-flop the veneration of commitment into the hope for it instead , which was a saucy strategy . Reeve ’s vision for the part was that the character ’s mythology was more significant than any individual histrion . Despite various auditory modality and consideration , including David Boreanaz and Ashton Kutcher , the role stay open .
The ambitious output , staggering under the weight of a soar budget exceeding $ 200 million , also wanted to tap eminent - profile actors like Christopher Walken and Anthony Hopkins in other critical theatrical role . However , Superman : Flybyhit a barrier when Ratner exited in March 2003 , leading to McG ’s brief return . His tenure was mark by his unique casting choices and going away due to logistic and budgetary disagreements , setting the stage for Bryan Singer ’s takeover and the eventual pivot toSuperman Returnsin 2006 .
The cancelation of DC’sSuperman : Flybyproject was due to several factor . Budget constraints top the listing , with Warner Bros. aiming to cut costs by $ 25 megabyte by film in Australia . However , as he admitted in 2012 , McG has a fear of flight , which ultimately led to him dropping out of the project , as he toldTHR :
“ I try out to tell [ then - Warner Bros. ’ execs ] Alan Horn and Barry Meyer at the time , ‘ Hey guy , I ’m really afraid to fly . And they were like , ‘ Come on ! You ’re McG. You ’ll be fine . ' ”
This project ’s failure to launch is another monitor of the fragile nature of film production , where creative visions , personal challenges , and logistical constraint can clash , head to the unrealized potential difference of what might have been an extraordinary cinematic experience . It also gives audiences something to hope for in succeeding reading of theSupermanand Lex Luthor mythos across the DCEU .
Robert Downey Jr. takes flawed characters and shit an art of regain what make them unique , what make them tie in with audiences , and what makes them so much fun to watch and relate to . Those characteristics in Lex Luthor would have let audiences question who exactly they ’re take root for , which would have tally layers of complication to the storyline , amplifying the dramatic play and suspense tenfold . Lex Luthor could effortlessly body forth so many of the fears and horrible fruition of those fears that companionship is currently face , and RDJ would have been complete at take all of this to the liberal screen .
