Rumor: Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston and Mark Strong Leading Candidates for Lex Luthor in Man of Steel 2

Rumors are circulating that Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston as well as fellow AMC star Mark Strong are in the running to play Lex Luthor in Man of Steel 2

By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer
Follow on Twitter @DamonMartin

The casting process for the next Man of Steel sequel that will introduce Batman into the Superman universe hasn’t begun yet, but that doesn’t mean rumors haven’t already started to circulate.

Last week The Hollywood Reporter released news that Warner Bros. was beginning the hunt for a new Batman expected to be “in his late 30’s or around the 40 mark”, which would make the Caped Crusader a little older than the incarnation last seen in The Dark Knight Rises when he was portrayed by Christian Bale (Bale is actually 39, but has already said he will not be putting on the cape and cowl again).

Several candidates were named as possible actors to land the role including Josh Brolin, Joe Manganiello, and Ryan Gosling.

Now new rumors are surfacing about the villain that will be portrayed in the new Man of Steel 2 film, and based on Easter eggs strategically placed throughout the first film it’s likely Superman nemesis Lex Luthor will be the one rearing his ugly, bald head to stand against Kal-El in the upcoming sequel.

Now it must be noted time and again that the script for Man of Steel 2 is not completed, but director Zach Snyder is said to be in the early stages of his search for the key roles that will fill the slots needed for his script.

But according to a new rumor leaked by LatinoReview.com, there are a couple of leading candidates to play the role of Lex Luthor.

The main one teased was Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston—who just happens to look exactly like Lex Luthor based on his time playing the infamous Heisenberg/Walter White on the popular AMC show.

Cranston is currently wrapping up his role as the infamous meth dealing former chemistry teacher on Breaking Bad with the final season kicking off this Sunday night, and already has parts in upcoming films such as Godzilla and Kung Fu Panda 3.

In a perfect world, Cranston would seem to epitomize the ideal person to portray Luthor’s ruthless and wicked persona on screen, but sometimes a sure thing seems too good to be true.

In addition to Cranston, the other rumored name tossed out was Green Lantern star Mark Strong. The British star carries a powerful presence on screen, but he has already played a major role in another DC film (as forgettable as Green Lantern was), and also portrayed the lead villain in the original Kick Ass film.

Strong is currently filming his new TV series Low Winter Sun, which will also air on AMC starting this Sunday night directly after Breaking Bad.

Now facts are facts—it’s too early for either of these actors to land the role of Lex Luthor yet, but they would both seem like great candidates to fill the shoes of past actors who played the part including Gene Hackman in the original Superman films as well as Michael Rosenbaum, who played Luthor on Smallville (the best adaptation yet).

Stay tuned for more Man of Steel 2 casting rumors because they will be happening quite a bit over the next few months.