Tyler Hoechlin's Superman has found his Lex Luthor. Recently, Jon Cryer had confirmed that he wouldn't be returning as his version of Lex Luthor in Superman & Lois after previously playing the role in the Arrowverse. It has since been revealed that Superman & Lois is not set within the Arrowverse, opening the door for new actors to take on some of those established roles from the previous shows. Now, it's been reported (via Entertainment Weekly) that The Walking Dead favorite Michael Cudlitz has been cast to play the wealthy supervillain in the upcoming third season of the hit TV show.
Per the report, Cudlitz's version of Lex will be depicted as the "visionary billionaire behind LexCorp, but secretly, the criminal underworld knows who Lex truly is: a brutal psychopath who terrorizes anyone he crosses paths with." To explain his absence in the previous seasons, it has also been noted that this Lex has been out of the public eye for years, though he's "re-emerging hellbent on correcting a personal injustice by enacting revenge on the two people he feels have wronged him — Superman and Lois Lane."
Cudlitz is perhaps best known for playing Abraham Ford in The Walking Dead, joining the series in its fourth season and exiting at the start of season 7; despite his limited presence compared to the show's overall 11 seasons, Abraham has remained one of the most popular characters for fans. The actor has also won a Critics' Choice Award for his role in Southland. More recently, he starred in the Silence of the Lambs sequel series Clarice as well as the ABC sitcom The Kids Are Alright.
Michael Cudlitz Joins Chad Coleman as a Superman & Lois Villain
Cudlitz reunites with Chad Coleman for the third season of Superman & Lois. It was previously reported that Coleman would be playing a mystery villain in season 3 as well, though it hasn't been confirmed exactly which character that will be. What Coleman could say, via Horror Geek Life, is that he's really excited to be taking on that particular role.
"This role encompasses everything I’ve ever done, and as superficial as it sounds, he’s the richest and most powerful dude I’ve ever played," Coleman teased. "It’s an amazing cast and showrunners. I mean, this is Greg Berlanti productions giving me a plateful of delicious food. I had done Arrow with him and also All American, so for him to serve this up, man, I’m excited."
Fans can see both Coleman and Cudlitz when Superman & Lois season 3 arrives. The series will debut its third season on Tuesday, March 14 on The CW.