Looking through the archives here on CBM, it was reported back in May 2023, that James Gunn was approaching one of his Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 actors for the role of Lex Luthor.
At the time, many fans speculated that it was Will Poulter, who played Adam Warlock in the pic, but Gunn has now confirmed that it was Rocket Racoon voice actor, Bradley Cooper.
Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gunn explained why he ultimately decided not to go with Cooper.
"I did talk to Bradley," said Gunn, admitting he initially approached Cooper for the role of Lex Luthor.
He continued, "But I did want Lex to be someone that was more contemporary of [David's] Superman...I didn't write it with an age [in mind] but I think Lex Luthor is important to Superman, and I think he's important to the future of the DC Universe and I thought it was better [to go with Nick] but yeah, Bradley would have been a great Lex. Bradley's great at everything."
Of course, Bradley Cooper went on to be cast as Jor-El in the film, and perhaps we'll see him again in future Superman installments.
As the interview continued, Gunn was asked about the chances of whether it was ever considered for Lex Luthor to suit up like Tony Stark's Iron Man and battle it out with the Man of Steel in person.
"We still have plenty of time...We see the early prototypes," said Gunn on Lex's green and purple war suit from the comics. Gunn then goes on to confirm that he never included the war suit in the script, and there was never a physical confrontation between Lex and Superman planned. Apparently, that's being saving for future films.
Lex Luthor’s iconic green and purple war suit serves as his ultimate weapon in his battles against Superman. Designed to boost his physical capabilities, the suit grants superhuman strength, flight, and enhanced durability through advanced armor and energy shields.
What makes it especially dangerous is its Kryptonite-based weaponry and high-powered energy systems, which allow Luthor to exploit Superman’s greatest vulnerability. While the suit gives Luthor the means to fight on equal footing, it remains a piece of tech, meaning Superman can still overpower it under the right conditions.
Still, for anyone other than Superman, the warsuit turns Luthor into an overpowered physical rival who weilds brute force and possesses a brilliant strategic mind to challenge the various heroes of DC Comics in ways few other villains can.