Lex Luthor in 'Man of Steel 2' Played by Bryan Cranston? Rumors False (VIDEO)
The Lex Luthor role in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie was slated to be filled by Bryan Cranston, according to various media outlets. Unfortunately, their reports were based on little more than rumor, because although Cranston's name may very well have come up in the discussions for Luthor, he has not signed on for six appearances as the devious villain.
Lex Luthor, one of Superman's most conniving and frustrating arch-nemeses, will most likely appear in the "Man of Steel" sequel set for 2015. The name of his company, Lexcorp, was seen on several buildings in the first film, and fans were eager to find out who would play the role after it was revealed that Ben Affleck would be the Caped Crusader.
"Bryan Cranston has been cast as Lex Luthor in what is said to be at least a six 'appearance' deal … and may be as high as ten," Cosmic Booknews, who is known for careless reporting at best, wrote. Despite no sources being named in the report, legitimate publications like Rolling Stone magazine and The New York Post picked up on the story, and it spread across the internet very quickly.
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"I'm instantly more interested in this movie," one Twitter user wrote.
"Walter White can stand toe-to-toe with the Dark Knight and Superman," another agreed, referencing Cranston's best-known role in "Breaking Bad" as a drug kingpin. In the AMC drama, Walter White— Heisenberg is his infamous alias— has a similarly menacing bald look not too far off from Lex Luthor's.
However, there were some who had reservations about the Cosmic Booknews report, especially when considering the details. They reported that Affleck had a 13-picture deal to appear as Batman, which would mean possibly over a decade playing the same character. In addition, they slated Matt Damon as a possible pick for Aquaman or the Martian Manhunter, which just seems ridiculous.
The basis of the rumor stems back to a reporter's question to Cranston about the comic book villain.
"Give me a call. I like Lex Luthor," the "Breaking Bad" actor replied offhand, but that was hardly a confirmation of a six-picture deal.
Despite the erroneous reporting, many of Cranston's fans are eager to see what project he'll pursue after the end of "Breaking Bad"— the show has five more episodes to air in its fifth and final season. One fan even went so far as to make an unofficial trailer, which can be seen below.
