James Gunn recently revealed who the main villain of Superman will be, and it shows the DCU is avoiding one of the MCU’s biggest complaints.

James Gunn recently announced who the main villain will be in 2025’s Superman, and it shows the DCU is learning from the MCU’s mistakes. Plenty of speculation exists about what the story of Superman will be. The film has a stacked cast and a large roster of DC characters, including Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Mister Terrific, and Guy Gardner. Many theories exist about who the main villain could be and how these DC characters connect to the main story. However, Gunn recently shared that the story could be simpler than viewers are making it.

On his Threads account, Gunn debunked many theories, saying that Superman will be the protagonist and “the main villain of Superman is, shockingly, Lex Luthor.” It should have been obvious that Luthor would be the main villain, considering he is Superman’s arch-rival in the comics. Still, Gunn’s confirmation does show that the DCU could be avoiding a major MCU complaint.

Superman’s Villain Choice Means He’s Very Unlikely To Die After 1 Movie

Lex Luthor and Superman have a long history in the comics. First introduced in Action Comics #23 in 1940, Luthor is an egotistical genius whose life goal is to rid the world of Superman. As the CEO of LexCorp, Lex uses his resources and scientific mind to fight Superman, who normally wins but sometimes loses in various comics. Since Lex is such a crucial part of Superman’s story, it’s unlikely that Gunn would kill him off in one film, especially after casting an actor as excellent as Nicolas Hoult.

Luthor could also play an essential role in the DCU as he is one of the leaders and founders of the Legion of Doom, an organization of DC villains that go head-to-head with the Justice League. Lex is a nuisance to many of DC’s most famous heroes outside of Superman, and Gunn would lose so many opportunities if Luthor was taken out after one film. Even the DCEU teased Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor forming the Legion, but that never came to fruition.

The DCU Can Avoid Marvel’s Villain Death Problem And Set The Tone For Longer Lasting Antagonists Right Away

The DCU can separate itself from the MCU by establishing recurring villains who have a lasting presence throughout the timeline. Outside of Loki, Thanos, and Abomination, most MCU villains only appear in one film, as they are typically killed off. Even the best villains like Hela, Mysterio, Ultron, Killmonger, and Ego never had time to develop because they died by the end of their first and only film. Establishing Lex as a central antagonist in the DCU would not only create a recurring archrival for Superman, but it could create team-up opportunities with Lex and other DC villains.