Titus Welliver is set to play the iconic DC villain and Superman’s archnemesis, Lex Luthor, in the upcoming season 4 of Titans. The show has been setting up Luthor’s arrival since season two when Conner/Superboy (played by Joshua Orpin) debuted in Titans. Superboy is a clone of both Clark Kent and Lex Luthor in Titans, and season 4 will explore the character’s dark side.
Titus Welliver is likely to play a major role in Titans season 4 as Lex Luthor, and taking on a fan-favorite antagonist comes with a big responsibility. Fans can get really picky nowadays, and Lex Luthor has been a major source of controversy for the past few years. Almost no one liked Jesse Eisenberg’s young, temperamental version of Luthor, but Welliver at least is older and bears a resemblance to the character. However, he will be sporting a beard akin to Jon Cryer’s iteration in the Arrowverse.
You can check out the first look at Welliver as Lex Luthor below (courtesy of Entertainment Weekly).
Titus Welliver Is A Big Fan Of DC Comics And Titans
Titus Welliver is best known for his starring role in Amazon’s acclaimed police procedural, Bosch. He also played memorable antagonists in Sons of Anarchy and Lost and appeared in The Mandalorian and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Welliver also happens to be a huge comic book fan and didn’t take much convincing to join Titans, showrunner Greg Walker said.
"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. 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."
As for the character itself, Walker promised a comic-accurate portrayal. Luthor is one of the most menacing and cunning villains ever, having bested Superman several times using nothing but his wits. Titans will stay true to Luthor’s comic persona.
"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. 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 both of his own power and his own inadequacy, and tries to compensate for both."
Titans season 4 doesn’t have a release date yet but is expected to arrive on HBO Max in November this year. Most of the cast members will be returning, including Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, and Ryan Potter.
As for Titus Welliver, it’s not known in what capacity he’ll appear in Titans season 4, but an actor of his caliber probably wouldn’t have agreed to a cameo. Hopefully, fans will love his take on Lex Luthor. In the meantime, you can stream all three seasons of Titans on HBO Max.