Why Lex Luthor Doesn't Know Superman's Secret Identity, According To James Gunn
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For about as long as Superman has been a popular character, there has been debate about his alter ego, Clark Kent. Can the reporter for the Daily Planet truly hide that he is actually the Man of Steel with a pair of glasses? It was easier to explain decades ago, but in the age of technology, it's much harder for people to buy into it. It's led people to wonder why Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor didn't know Superman's secret identity in James Gunn's "Superman." Gunn has an explanation for us.
Taking to Threads to respond to a fan query recently, Gunn gave a detailed, multi-pronged explanation for why Lex isn't aware of the Clark Kent of it all. This, despite the fact that he even made a Superman clone of sorts in the form of Ultraman, who was a villain in "Superman" with a twist reveal during the third act. As Gunn tells it, Lex wouldn't have a good reason to know that Clark Kent is secretly the world's greatest superhero. Here's what he had to say about it:
"Lex doesn't know who he is but I don't know how he would. A) Lex thinks Superman is a disconnected alien who wants to take over the world, so I'm not sure why he'd assume he has a 'secret identity.' B) Hypno Glasses are real. Clark looks like another person. C) Being a genius in some ways (in Lex's case, genetics, electrochemistry, nanotechnology, nuclear & quantum physics, to name a few) doesn't mean you are a genius in all fields. Like many scientists (& artists!) he can miss basic things."
Gunn's Superman differs from past versions of the character, with David Corenswet portraying him. What remains true is that he's a Kryptonian moonlighting as a reporter. Lex Luthor, his arch-nemesis, is oblivious to that fact.
The Superman/Clark Kent debate rages on decades later
Let's take a closer look at James Gunn's reasoning, step by step. First up, Lex Luthor believes that Superman is an alien who wants to take over the world. As Gunn sees it, he wouldn't have any reason to believe he even has a secret identity. Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the actual explanation. That one does track. Jesse Eisenberg may have been bummed about everyone's reaction to his Lex Luthor in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," but he figured out who Clark Kent actually was. Not that it's a contest or anything.
Let's get to the Hypno Glasses thing. This one is a bit weird, and while we can't dive into the full history of this concept, it dates back to "Superman" #330 in the pages of DC Comics, according to DC.com. The issue was written by Martin Paso and introduced the idea of Hypno Glasses. The glass used for Clark's glasses was explained to have come from the rocket that brought him from Krypton.
He was unknowingly hypnotizing people, projecting an image of Clark that looked inferior to Superman. As for Gunn's final point, being a genius isn't all-encompassing. Any genius could miss something like this. Taken together, it all adds up and clearly shows Gunn thought a lot about it.
Gunn is currently filming "Man of Tomorrow," for which elements of the plot have been confirmed. Mainly, that Superman and Lex will reluctantly team up to take on a bigger threat, namely Brainiac. Will that team-up lead to Lex discovering who Superman really is? We shall see.