The Man of Steel’s nemesis is finally coming to Supergirl this season. We found out back in November that Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer had landed the iconic role of Lex Luthor on The CW show – a left-field casting choice that many fans didn’t take to – and earlier today, we finally got our first look at Cryer in character as the supervillain.
Lex’s absence from the past few seasons has been explained by his being in jail, and it looks like that’s where we’ll find him when he first appears on Supergirl in episode 4×15 “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, as the photo sees Cryer’s bearded Lex looking at us through a cell door. It promises a serious portrayal of the villain, too, something that’s won over those who were worried about the actor’s interpretation.
Here's our first look at Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor for CW's #Supergirl. Honestly he looks way better than what I was imagining. pic.twitter.com/IlnO2gLpVa
— Michael Minett (@miketminett) January 23, 2019
Others, though, still aren’t convinced and can’t get Cryer’s most famous role, as Alan Harper on the long-running sitcom Two and a Half Men, out of their heads.
https://twitter.com/Jrnotjnr18/status/1088183043091763202
Another fan, meanwhile, argued that people should give Cryer a chance as Luthor, as Supergirl‘s had some unexpected casting choices in the past that paid off. Case in point: Tyler Hoechlin as Superman.
First Look: Jon Cryer as Supergirl's Lex Luthor!!!
OMG!! Honestly. It's not perfect, but I'm not mad anymore.
I was mad at the casting of Superman, but wound up impressed. I shall wait to pass judgment. Good luck Jon!! https://t.co/gwr6ShaJg8 pic.twitter.com/NkkPo36zy5— NerdyGirl (@NerdyGirlStuff) January 23, 2019
Elsewhere, Cryer’s Luthor is going down so well with some that it’s even pushing people to go back to watching the series.
You know, I sort of just casually watch the CW Superhero shows (usually when the seasons end up on Netflix) and I admit I was a little dismissive of the casting of Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor when I heard about it…
But man, he sure does look the part. pic.twitter.com/cu2GJ6v26v— R. K. S. DOOM (@DooMWeBBer) January 23, 2019
Finally, do we really need to debate about whether Cryer will be a good Lex Luthor or not? Surely the better question is has his forehead always been that big, right?
Has Jon Cryer’s forehead always been this loud? pic.twitter.com/RpyUeOTsI5
— Charles PM (@CharlesPulliam) January 23, 2019
The important thing to remember about Cryer’s involvement is that it’s actually another clever bit of legacy casting for Supergirl, which has always found room for former DC stars. For those who don’t know, the actor previously played Lenny Luthor, Lex’s bumbling nephew, in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Whether you like it or not, Jon Cryer makes his debut as Lex Luthor on March 17th. In the meantime, Supergirl season 4 continues this Sunday with a brand new episode.