Bryan Cranston Will Play Lex Luthor in 'Man of Steel’; Can He Cook Up Something Worse Than Meth As This Super Villain? Will This Stereotype Him?

Bryan Cranston’s Lex Luthor will be bad. An evil super-villain whose deeds are so appalling it will take Superman AND Batman to bring down. And that’s just in the credits. After five years of playing one of the most realistic villains in TV history on Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston is a superstar’s super-villain. The “Breaking Bad” star signed a multi-film deal to play Lex Luthor in the upcoming blockbuster guarantee, “Man of Steel.”

Bryan Cranston’s Lex Luthor may have nothing on his Walter White in “Breaking Bad.” Bryan Cranston played the chemistry teacher turned crystal meth kingpin so realistically that his fall from grace changed television. This might lead to some heavy stereotyping, so this writer wants to remind everyone that Bryan Cranston was just as good playing comedy, which he did as a recurring guest on “Seinfeld” and as a star on “Malcolm in the Middle.”

But he really does have that whole villain thing down. Playing Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor in the upcoming sequel for Man of Steel only confirms that.

While the world still reels from the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman in the Superman sequel, Bryan Cranston’s Lex Luthor will appear in at least six films in the DC Comics universe. Affleck signed for 13 film appearance. Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston worked together before on Affleck’s film “Argo” about the 70s Iranian hostage crisis. Affleck took home a bunch of awards.

51,000 people signed an online petition on Change.org pleading with the studio not to cast Affleck because he “won’t do justice” to the role and saying Affleck’s acting skill is “not even close to being believable as Bruce Wayne.”

Gosh! Comics bookseller Steve Walsh said, “Every time a new Batman is announced, we are told it will be a nightmare and will destroy the franchise. I think Ben Affleck will be very good. He has the physicality to pull off the Batman stuff and playing charming playboy-tycoon Bruce Wayne won’t be a stretch.”

Superman director Zack Snyder said: “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne.”

A source told Comic Book News that "Cranston is truly a dream casting for Luthor."

Bryan Cranston won three Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series Emmy Awards for the AMC series “Breaking Bad.”

Henry Cavill is putting the cape on again as Superman.

By Tony Sokol, follow me on Twitter

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world news
Bryan Cranston
Lex Luthor
man of steel
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