JUSTICE LEAGUE to be a "United Nations" of Heroes, And Guess Who's Been Testing for Lex Luthor?
Thu, December 5, 2013 
These past few days have been big for Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment, who are kick-starting their own shared cinematic universe, which we saw started somewhat in this past summer's Man of Steel.
Just yesterday, Israeli Actress Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious, Knight & Day) was announced as Diana Prince AKA Wonder Woman in the upcoming Man of Steel 2/Batman Vs. Superman/The Untitled Zack Snyder Super Hero Film as Box Office Mojo calls it (since Warner Brothers won't confirm a title, who can blame them?), followed Callan Mulvey being eyed for a villain role, which we hear is intended as Metallo.
Well we have also learned from a trusted source in Hollywoodland (the same one who first alerted us to Batman Vs. Superman getting quietly developed, David Goyer back on writing duties for the next Superman film and the Gotham Central-inspired series) the studio has been testing for Lex Luthor. No, it's not Bryan Cranston. Or Mark Strong. Or any other bald, Caucasian character-actor. Instead it appears they are testing actors from all ethnicities to portray the billionaire arch-nemesis of Kal-El.
Denzel Washington was their hope of hopes but nothing ever materialized and before you even ask, yes Idris Elba was on "the list" as impossible as that would have been given his current status as Hemdall in Marvel's Thor films. Another actor fitting this description that was approached for the role of Lex Luthor is a certain re-occuring cast member from Arrow. If true would put a kink in theories that Arrow would be tied into DC's Cinematic Universe.
This does not mean Luthor will definitely be played by non-caucasian actor.
It's a bold choice and that is often frowned upon at glance. Look at how the angry internet tribes reacted to Gadot yesterday ("Too thin!" "So Small!" "No breasts!"), Ben Affleck as the new Dark Knight ("He fucked up Daredevil!" "Wow, really? Muh John Hamm") and Heath Ledger as the Joker ("The Buttback Mountain dude???"), and the rumors of Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch in Fox's Fantastic Four reboot ("OMG Human Torch can't be black, he's WHITE") to name a few.
But you have to hand it to them. Man of Steel was full of unconventional casting choices, with Cavill being the first non-American playing Superman, a ginger Lois Lane, whatever you wanna categorize Jenny (First she was Jenny Olsen then they reneged and made her Jenny Jurwich) and yes an African American Perry White.
What about Justice League, you ask? According to our source, making the team a "United Nations" of Superheroes is the plan. The concept we’ve heard plays Superman represents the world as a whole (Being an immigrant of Earth he speaks for everyone), Batman would represent the United States with the American Affleck in the cape-and-cowl with the Flash possibly portrayed by an Hispanic or Laitno actor and as we saw announced yesterday an Wonder Woman played by an Israeli.
It's a pretty neat idea, same as with Gadot's other (multi-million) film franchise, Fast & Furious, which has such a wide appeal: exotic locations with a multi-cultural cast that brings all walks together with the common purpose of entertaining and being entertained.
Reader Comments (14)
I dont have a problem with Lex being black, it was one of the only things that worked i Daredevil... ooops, another parallel...
David Morrissey for Lex Luthor. Just throwing it out there.
So they actually WANT Speedy Gonzalez jokes about the movie? LOL. I can buy black Lex, but Warner Bros is too afraid of using the real Speedy Gonzalez these days. They aren't going Latin for Barry Allen. Which happens to be a name of Scottish/Irish origins. Not a lot of Hispanics there. The TV show is going black with the West family, so maybe a black Wally would work on film first.
Idris Elba is African-American?
LoL
Good point John!
idris elba should be john stewart instead of lex luthor
Enough with that crap. Create new characters for petes sake. I'm sick and tired of the studios thinking they can please everyone. Leave the characters alone. Heaven forbid if a fat white guy played Fat Albert. Lawrence Fishburn is a great actor. I always look forward to seeing what he's doing but.....is he Perry White? No. Is Jamie Foxx a good actor? Yes....is he Electro? No. Please just stop. John Stewart is a solid character and black. There you go. Lex Luthor is a white man. Stop it. Enough already.
Oh hell no!! Don't do like Marvel and change the race of their comic book characters please!!!
come on id like to see a black superman since when kids read the comics they want to be like the heroes i have seen black kids in superman costumes so i think we should not be stuck on race let it change as much as possible
Regardless whoever they cast to be play the characters, as long as the story is well done and the actors do their roles right, it would still be a great film. Still, it would be great to have some close physical resemblance as well as other physical attributes between the actor and his/her character. I also have my doubts with Affleck being Batman but I will keep my hopes up for him. Gadot playing Wonder Woman would be interesting.
If Idris Elba is in a Superman film cast as ANYTHING other that John Henry Irons (Steel) I will be made of tears.
For the racist in this comments section, GTFO.
That second to last paragraph hurt my brain.
Dennis Hayberth ( the Allstate guy) or Phil Morris (Martian Manhunter...Smallville) would be great choices if they wanted to go Africian Amercian
This sounds like some not so cleverly disguised fox news thinking
Lex Luthor "The evil "black" dude who hides his true intentions of power and eventually dupes the public into electing him president."
They couldn't possibly place a black actor in the heroic role of John Stewart or Cyborg. 2 well known JL members. No we need to put him in the role of the main villain. Jamie Foxx: Electro, MDC: Kingpin, Washington or Elba: Luthor, I'm seeing a pattern here.