You’ve seen Lex Luthor before. Maybe it’s Gene Hackman’s campy real estate obsession or Michael Rosenbaum’s tragic, slow-burn descent into darkness on Smallville. But the Lex Luthor in Superman and Lois? Man, he’s something else entirely.
Michael Cudlitz, who most of us know as the cigar-chomping Abraham from The Walking Dead, stepped into the role during Season 3 and immediately threw the "charming billionaire" playbook out the window. This isn't a guy who wants to be loved by the public. He doesn't care about a presidential run or winning a philanthropy award. Honestly, this Lex is a hammer, and the world is just a collection of nails he’s ready to drive into the dirt.
Lex Luthor in Superman and Lois: A Different Kind of Monster
Most versions of Lex start with a grudge against the Man of Steel. They’re jealous of his powers or they think he’s a "false god." But in the world of Superman and Lois, the beef is way more personal. It’s gritty. It’s ugly.
Lex spent 17 years in Stryker’s Prison for a crime he didn’t actually commit. He was framed by Bruno Mannheim and Peia for the murder of Boss Moxie. The kicker? It was Lois Lane’s investigative reporting that put him there.
Imagine rotting in a cell for nearly two decades while the world moves on. Your daughter, Elizabeth, grows up without you. She eventually stops taking your calls. She wants nothing to do with the "Lex Luthor" brand. While Lex is staring at a gray wall, Lois and Clark are raising twins and being the world’s most famous couple. That kind of resentment doesn't just simmer—it boils until there’s nothing left but a desire for total destruction.
The Prison Kingpin
When we finally see Lex get out, he doesn't go to a penthouse. He walks. He literally walks from the prison gates all the way to the Kent farm in Smallville. That’s a long way to go just to tell someone to retire.
Michael Cudlitz plays him with this heavy, physical presence. He’s got the beard, the tattoos, and a voice that sounds like it’s been dragged over gravel. In prison, he wasn't just an inmate; he was the boss. He didn't use tech to win over the guards; he used brutal leverage. He got the warden’s home phone number. He threatened families. By the time he leaves, the entire facility belongs to him.
Why He Hates Lois Lane More Than Superman
It sounds weird, right? Lex Luthor usually spends every waking second trying to find kryptonite. But in this show, Superman is almost an afterthought—he’s just the "bodyguard" standing in the way of his real target.
Lois Lane is the one who took his life away. That’s how he sees it. He views her integrity as a weapon that was used to shank him. When he confronts her, he doesn't just want to kill her. That’s too easy. He wants her to suffer. He wants her to feel the isolation he felt.
- He kills General Sam Lane. This wasn't just about removing a tactical threat. It was about tearing a hole in Lois’s support system.
- He targets the boys. Lex knows that Clark’s greatest weakness isn't a green rock; it's the safety of Jonathan and Jordan.
- The "Retire" Demand. One of the most chilling scenes is when he tells Lois she has to stop being a journalist. He wants to strip away her identity.
Turning Bizarro into Doomsday
We have to talk about the Season 3 finale because it was wild. Lex takes the Bizarro version of Superman—who was already a tragic figure—and tortures him. He kills him over and over, knowing that every time Bizarro dies, he comes back stronger and more deformed.
Eventually, he turns him into this show's version of Doomsday.
It’s a masterclass in pettiness. Lex didn't just find a monster; he manufactured one out of Clark’s own face. It’s psychological warfare. He sends this creature to the moon to kill Superman, not because he needs the world to be without a savior, but because he wants Lois to watch her husband die.
The Final Act: Redemption or Just Peace?
By the time we hit the series finale of Season 4, the stakes have shifted. We see the "Death of Superman" arc play out, but the show does something unexpected with the ending.
After years of fighting, after the lawsuits and the Doomsday battles and the kidnapped fathers, we get a time jump. A big one. 32 years into the future.
Lois eventually passes away from a return of her cancer. It’s heartbreaking. But in those final moments, or perhaps in a vision of the afterlife, Clark encounters a version of Lex. It’s not the angry, bearded man from the prison walk. It’s a representation of all the trauma they shared.
And Clark forgives him.
Some fans hated this. They felt Lex didn't deserve it. And honestly? He probably didn't. But the show wasn't about Lex’s redemption; it was about Clark’s capacity for peace. Forgiving Lex was the final act of being Superman. It was the only way to truly defeat the ghost of Lex Luthor.
What We Can Learn From This Version of Lex
This Lex Luthor reminds us that the most dangerous villains aren't the ones with the big laser beams. They’re the ones who feel like they’ve been wronged.
- Vengeance is a trap. Lex could have taken his billions and rebuilt his life. Instead, he chose to rot in his own anger.
- Legacy matters. Lex’s greatest failure wasn't losing to Superman; it was losing his daughter’s love.
- The power of the press. The show highlights how a single article can change a life, for better or worse.
If you’re looking to revisit the best moments of this rivalry, start with Season 3, Episode 12, "Injustice." It’s where the mask truly slips and we see the monster Michael Cudlitz built. It’s a performance that stands right up there with the greats.
👉 See also: Still Alive But Barely Breathing: Why the Best Music Leaves Us Gasping
Your next move? Go back and watch the scenes between Lex and Otis. The way Lex commands the room without ever raising his voice tells you everything you need to know about why this is the definitive modern take on the character. Keep an eye on the subtle ways the show uses lighting to make Lex look like he’s always emerging from the shadows of his own past.