Christopher Meloni had a small role in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, playing military general Nathan Hardy. However, when his casting news was first reported, many fans assumed that he was roped in for an important role in the DCEU. Based on his looks and acting capability, fans believed that he would make a fantastic Lex Luthor in the Superman film. Fans were in for a disappointment when the rumors turned out to be false.
To make things worse, fans largely hated Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Christopher Meloni as a more mature Lex Luthor would’ve made more sense than the young Joker-like portrayal of Eisenberg.
Christopher Meloni Would’ve Happily Accepted The Lex Luthor Role In Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel
Christopher Meloni is known to play the fan-favorite cop Detective Elliot Stabler in the police procedural drama, Law & Order: SVU. When Zack Snyder‘s Superman reboot film announced the casting of Meloni in 2012, fans believed that he was playing Lex Luthor. However, the actor was roped in for a smaller role, that of military general Nathan Hardy.
Meloni didn’t have to audition, as Snyder thought he was perfect for the role. Meloni learned that his character in the film was named after a deceased Navy SEAL which made the role even more special for him. When asked about his Man of Steel role, Meloni told Rolling Stone that he was happy with the nice arc that his character got in the film, despite not being one of the top three guys. He shared with Rolling Stone:
Zack Snyder thought it was a good idea and I got offered the role. And I couldn’t have been happier. It’s not often that you have a C or D storyline that has a nice arc to it, and I thought that for a character that’s not one of the top three guys, my journey was good. It had resonance.
In another interview with Vulture, he also addressed the earlier rumors that he was playing Lex Luthor. Meloni shared that he would’ve happily taken on the villain role if Snyder had asked him to. He mentioned that he would’ve wanted to be recognized as the franchise villain but added that he was happy to play the role he got. He shared with Vulture:
Sure! Of course. You want to be recognized as a franchise name, but Colonel Nathan Hardy, I enjoyed his arc. I thought it was an important arc.
While Meloni was satisfied with the role he was cast in, fans wished they got him as Lex Luthor, especially after watching Jesse Eisenberg portray the character in Batman v Superman. Zack Snyder’s choice of the Superman villain was heavily criticized upon the release of the film.
Fans Hated Jesse Eisenberg’s Portrayal Of Lex Luthor In The DCEU
Before Snyder’s Batman v Superman hit the theaters, many believed that Jesse Eisenberg would be a saving grace in the film. However, upon release, Eisenberg’s role received mixed reviews, with many hating on his unorthodox take on the character. Critics bashed his performance, with some sharing that it was a strange mix of the Riddler and the Joker (via The Washington Post).
According to Looper, fans hated the character for his Joker-like portrayal of the character in the film. For fans, Lex Luthor was this bald, mature businessman but Eisenberg was a young, genius madman with a “sexy head of youthful hair.” Interestingly, Eisenberg was also criticized for being not masculine enough to carry the role of the Superman villain.
The Social Network actor defended his portrayal when he appeared at MCM London Comic Con. He shared with the attendees that he just “wanted to make these people real and relatable and interesting and engaging, not just, you know, a surface bad person” (via The AV Club). James Gunn is all set to make another iteration of a young Lex Luthor in his DCU, casting Nicholas Hoult in the role in the Superman film.
Man of Steel and Batman v Superman are now available for streaming on Max and Netflix.
