Smallville's Lex Luthor Ready for the Big Screen?

Smallville? Wow, what a show! What begins as a simple take on Clark Kent aka Superman as a teenager becomes an acting tour de force for a few of the characters. Yes sir, Tom Welling as the Man of Steel is pretty impressive, both innocent and wise while navigating raging hormones and teenage dreams. Certainly, Kristin Kreuk's Lana Lang is great as the girl of his desires. She's both alluring, available, and not willing to settle for anything but the best. Third wheel Chloe, played by Allison Mack is sharp, charming, and the perfect foil to all those creeps who show up in what must be Kansas' most dangerous town in which to live. (In light of her choices and battles, it's safe to say she's a pretty good actress!)

Smallville's the story of an ensemble cast to be sure, but it's the masterful, understated performance and character development of Michael Rosenbaum that darn near steals the show. When Lex Luthor is on the screen, it's impossible to take your eyes off it. 

Hope against hope- and against knowledge of the comic series and other Superman films before it- I find myself rooting for Lex to find his way out of the increasing darkness in his soul, to come into the light and become someone who is free, lovable, and worthy of doing good that only he can do. And there's plenty.

I find myself wanting to tell him "It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?" (These are the words of the Apostle Paul in The Message translation of the Bible.)

No one is beyond God's redemption. But if Lex did come clean, who would then be the villain?

I find myself much like Lex at times- called to be free but fighting against the desires of a sinful nature. Thank God for the gift of his Holy Spirit who empowers me to stay the course- and to Jesus Christ who paid the price of my brokenness, shame, and shortcomings.

Now, James Gunn as you step into DC's universe for yet another version of the Superman mythology, I want to ask you- Who can make a better Lex Luthor than the man whose players him for years and to such great success?