There are a lot of shows to look forward to in the upcoming fall season. On the superhero side of things, there's Titans Season 4 which premieres this November. This season will see many exciting iconic DC villains going up against the Titans, but the most famous of all of them is Lex Luthor who will be played by Titus Welliver. Now, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Titans showrunner Greg Walker has teased what to expect from the villain this season.
Walker started off by talking about how he pitched the idea of Lex to Welliver. "You usually have to do this whole dog-and-pony show to get an actor to do the show, but when I called to kind of lure him in, I could barely get a word in." Walker continued saying, "We were talking on the phone, and he was just walking through his library, telling me about all his Wolfman/Perez Titans editions. He's a giant, giant fan. He'd watched every episode of the show and could tell me about certain stories, certain shots. It was the most unexpected call I've ever had."
Waker then went into what made Lex such a unique villain for the Titans saying, "He has a very sensitive, thoughtful approach to evil and power. You know what he's done, what he's capable of doing, except, like many of those people, he's personable. He doesn't have a cat on his lap. Yeah. He's curious, which I think is very interesting about his character." Lex is a very human villain, especially compared to the other past threats on the show. Walker continued describing their version of this sinister villain saying, "He wants to know about people and what makes them tick, and how they're different from him. He sees the world through the lens of both his own power and his own inadequacy, and tries to compensate for both."
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However, there's an obstacle for this version of Lex that many of the live-action versions of the character haven't faced yet and that's Superboy. Just like in the comics, Superboy was made from both Superman and Lex's DNA. We have seen many shades of Superboy's dark side in the past two seasons, but Season 4 is facing that evil connection head-on. "We're really going deeper in all these characters and shaking them up," Walker said and continued on saying,:
"What shakes Conner up is an identity story. He's explored his Superman self, but he has not really explored his Lex self. What does that mean when you do? What happens when you give that self the keys to the car? Does it start driving the wrong way at rush hour, 100 miles an hour?"
EW also provided fans a first look at Welliver's Lex with a new image. In the shot, Welliver is sporting the character's signature bald head as well as a beard and is face-to-face with Anna Diop's Starfire. They seem to be cordial at the moment, but then again, Lex is a people person. He's a narcissistic chess player in a world where he thinks everyone else is playing checkers. It's anyone's guess what the two enemies are talking about. However, it can't lead to anything good.
There have been so many amazing Lex Luthors over the years including Clancy Brown, Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum, and Jon Cryer. With that weighty legacy, it's going to be exciting to see what Welliver will bring to the role. The actor has had so many memorable roles over the years, including voicing Carmine Falcone in Batman: The Long Halloween last year, and it's great to hear how much enthusiasm Welliver has for this universe and this character.
Titans Season 4 is premiering this November on HBO Max. Along with Lex Luthor, the famous DC team will also take on classic villains Brother Blood, Mother Mayhem, and Jinx. While we wait for Welliver's debut, you can view the new Lex image down below. You can also stream the first three seasons of Titans on HBO Max now.