“The role was supposed to be a lot bigger”: James Gunn’s Favorite Lex Luthor Wants to Make His MCU Return After a Short GOTG Appearance

We were robbed of more of Michael Rosenbaum’s Martinex.

lex luthor, gotg

Among DC fans, Michael Rosenbaum is notable for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Smallville, which James Gunn previously deemed his favorite iteration of the character onscreen. Apart from Luthor, Rosenbaum has also voiced several other DC characters, including Deadman, Kid Flash, and Barry Allen, across shows like Batman BeyondStatic ShockTeen Titans, etc.

However, his stint in the realm of superheroes isn’t just limited to DC, as thanks to his good pal Gunn, the actor landed the role of Martinex in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. But per the actor, his role in the films was initially supposed to be a lot bigger than it ended up being.

Michael Rosenbaum Will Gladly Return for More Martinex

A still from Guardians of the Galaxy


When it comes to dealing with a huge cast in superhero flicks, few do it better than James Gunn. Not only does he succeed in making the main cast shine, but Gunn is also notable for making characters, with little to no screen time, great. This is prominent in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, especially with the Ravagers, which includes Rosenbaum’s Martinex, Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar Ogord, Michelle Yeoh’s Aleta, etc.

While we only see Martinex for a few brief moments in both films, the actor revealed that his role was originally written to be a lot bigger and the film also would’ve seen him exploring his powers.


Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex

Rosenbaum told Comicbook.com: I mean, the role was supposed to be a lot bigger. They cut a lot out. Well, you were supposed to see, it was written in the script to see Martinex’s powers, which were really cool. But they had so much to talk about in the script that they ended up cutting it out in the end. And there was some other stuff.

Although it’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of Martinex, Rosenbaum is open to returning in the character’s shoes in future MCU installments, as he holds no grudges against his good pal Gunn.

Michael Rosenbaum Has No Hard Feelings Against James Gunn

Even though it’s unfortunate that his role was trimmed down in order to make room for other story elements, Michael Rosenbaum harbors no hard feelings against the Guardians director. Recounting his experience on the Guardians sets, the Smallville star revealed that he enjoyed working with his friends on a major Marvel project, stressing he is very grateful.

Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor in a still from Smallville
He said: But it was fun. For me it’s like, I’m working with my friends, I get paid, I’m in a big Marvel movie, life could suck worse. You know what I mean? I’m very grateful.

With Gunn now in charge of the DCU, we might see Rosenbaum sooner or later in the new chapter of DC. Even though we won’t be seeing Gunn’s favorite Luthor playing the iconic Superman villain once again, there are still a plethora of DC characters that would perfectly fit the bill for Rosenbaum.

Related Posts

Meghan Markle was ‘insincere’ in key interview claims royal source after they realised ‘telling’ sign

Meghan allegedly slated a BBC interviewer as ‘not empathetic or warm enough’ – and now, the duchess has come under fire. Meghan Markle has been blasted as…

Meghan Markle shuns UK as Prince William and Camilla on shaky ground

A royal commentator has touched on whether Meghan Markle is really going to join her husband Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027. It’s…

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle urged to rejoin the Royal Family after ‘disastrous’ maneuver

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have made a name for themselves since stepping down from the Royal Family, but it seems their popularity is waning amid recent…

Prince Harry and Meghan LIVE: Meghan issued ‘nightmare’ warning over royal title

Meghan Markle has been tipped to become more politically engaged in the run-up to the upcoming US presidential election. Meghan Markle has been warned keeping her title would…

Prince Harry and Meghan accused of re-writing history in brutal blunder

A major spotlight moment for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has come under scrutiny years later – with experts picking apart its “contradictions”. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have found…

Prince Harry sells Royal family secrets to media: ‘Hypocrisy in the extreme’

Prince Harry sells Royal family secrets to media: ‘Hypocrisy in the extreme’ Prince Harry received intense criticism over his involvement in the new ITV documentary Tabloids On Trial,…