James Gunn Explains Why a Brutal Lex Luthor Scene Was Cut from Superman ( Photo Credit – YouTube; Wikimedia )
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David Corenswet takes the lead in James Gunn’s Superman, a reboot that leans into heart and spectacle but little did viewers know that things almost took a much darker turn. According to Collider, a deleted scene from the film reveals a version of Lex Luthor that dipped deep into disturbing territory, far from the tone the final cut managed to hold. Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal already walks a chilling line but what did not make it to the screen might have gone too far.
Deleted Scene Shows Lex Luthor at His Most Disturbing
In the middle of the story, Superman surrenders himself in exchange for his kidnapped dog Krypto and ends up being trapped by PlanetWatch, a branch of LuthorCorp. As the viewers already know that the Kryptonite weakens him and leaves him powerless and it is during this vulnerable stretch, Luthor kills a civilian, Malik Ali, a kind falafel vendor who had earlier helped Superman. The execution remains in the film, shown from a distance but what was originally shot was far more brutal.
Lex Luthor’s Twisted Power Move Revealed
As per the outlet, the camera was meant to stay wide when Lex pulled the trigger but Gunn had also filmed a shot where Malik collapses with blood pooling beneath him.
“Lex shoots the guy in the head, that was always done in this extreme wide [shot] so it’s not too graphic. But the guy fell on the ground, and blood is pouring out onto the platform, and Lex looks down and sees the blood is about to get on his shoes,” Gunn revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
He added, “Ghurkos goes, ‘What? No!’ And Nic looks at him, and his delivery is great, because he looks at him straight and [says], ‘No?’ And then Ghurkos, sheepishly, sadly, trudges forward and lays down on his back.”
Why James Gunn Cut the Scene from Superman
The detail never made it past early post-production. Gunn removed it before it reached test audiences, admitting that it tipped the tone too far into something the film did not need. Even without it, Hoult’s Lex carries a dangerous charm in a way the character rarely has been on screen.
The scene ends with Luthor casually turning to Superman and telling him they will meet again the next day. There were no grand threats, no shouting but just quiet menace. Even after being trimmed down, the film keeps the tension alive and shows a side of Superman’s world that is grim but still grounded in the emotional weight Gunn wants to deliver.
