Rumor: Ryan Gosling Could Be in a Lex Luthor Solo Movie

In the vein of Joaquin Phoenix and Joker, Warner Bros. might be planning another standalone film for an elite DC villain in an Elseworlds context. True to form, they could have one more Oscar-level thespian in mind for it: La La Land and Blade Runner 2049 star Ryan Gosling.

A rumor coming from 4Chan — so take it for what its worth — says a film surrounding Lex Luthor is in development and Gosling is in final talks to headline as the megalomaniacal industrialist.

Also rumored is the team responsible for the Winston Churchill biopic [easyazon_link identifier=”B078R5T25R” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Darkest Hour[/easyazon_link] will bring the project to life. Director and co-writer Joe Wright supposedly is joining up again with co-writer Anthony McCarten to pen the script.

McCarten’s other credits include last year’s opus about Freddie Mercury and Queen, [easyazon_link identifier=”B07K2LGD2B” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Bohemian Rhapsody[/easyazon_link], an Oscar winner, and [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SNEGFNG” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]The Theory of Everything[/easyazon_link] which starred Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking. Prestige is obviously a priority.

Again, this is mostly speculation. 4Chan is not the most reliable place for news, but they showed accuracy in the past when it came to Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, when they spoiled the betrayal of Yondu by Taserface.

Warner Bros. seems keen on developing movies centering on their villains and having a slate not related, at least on paper, to the DC Extended Universe. Deathstroke supporting his own story on screen was on the table when Joe Manganiello was cast, though that went nowhere.

If Joker is received well — early reactions suggest it will be — and is profitable, it’s plausible the studio will be motivated to pursue a sort of Elseworlds villain multiverse further.

Logical, when you consider DC Comics has been publishing rogue-centric titles for years. No less than Joker, Deathstroke, Man-Bat, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and others received monthly books because they were popular enough. Then there was the Villains Month event years ago where every bad guy, including some listed, got a one shot.

A solo movie for Lex would probably go an origin route similar to Joker. He would be on the rise in a Metropolis that doesn’t know a Superman. A similar premise was pitched for a DC Universe series that’s seen no update lately.

Lex Luthor was last seen in the DCEU at the end of Justice League, played by Jesse Eisenberg.

Do you want to see Ryan Gosling at the forefront of a Lex Luthor movie? Let us know in the comments.

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