The following contains spoilers for Titans Season 4, Episode 1, "Lex Luthor," now streaming on HBO Max.

The TV series Titans has featured numerous heroes and villains from across the DC Universe, though many have been firmly related to the Teen Titans property. One notable exception was the recent addition of Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor, but it didn't last long. The same episode that introduced the show's take on the corrupt Metropolis menace also killed him off.

This was supposedly due to an embargo of sorts from DC, which suggests that something is coming down the pipeline for Lex that the company doesn't want to have to compete with Titans. Given the recent return of Henry Cavill as Superman, it's highly likely that Luthor will return to the DCU proper. Here's what the plans for the bald bad guy may entail.

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DC's Infamous Embargoes Made Lex Luthor's Titans Appearance Short

Titans Season 4 kills Lex Luthor

Titus Welliver's Lex Luthor was announced to be in Season 4 of Titans months before the episode actually aired, making it seem as if the villain would have a major role in the series. Such a story direction would make sense, considering he's one of the genetic "fathers" of Titans member Superboy. Unfortunately, this didn't develop as many fans foresaw. Luthor was killed off by the magical machinations of the Temple of Azarath, removing him from the series as soon as he had debuted.

This was apparently due to rules and constraints placed by the higher-ups at DC, which mandated how much Luthor could be used. Needless to say, the restrictions involved him not being a recurring character for too long in the series, hence his introduction and death being in the same episode. Welliver's Luthor and Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor in the Arrowverse were the most recently seen live-action adaptations of the character, but another take on Superman's main foe could be returning to the big screen.

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DC Studios Is Planning to Make Lex Luthor a Major Player in the DCU

Jesse Eisenberg behind an image of Lex Luthor from DC Comics.

Given the current shakeups at the newly named DC Studios, it's clear that the Superman property and mythology will be a top priority going forward. Henry Cavill is returning to the role, and Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav has also highlighted the desire for a new Superman movie. Given that Titans was limited in how much it could use Lex Luthor, the villain will likely be a part of the plans for Superman going forward in the DC Universe.

Keep in mind that when the DC Extended Universe (as it was called at the time) Suicide Squad movie was released, the team's incarnation in The CW's Arrowverse was killed off. Despite claims otherwise, it would seem that DC and Warner Bros. are still wary of having major properties appear in disparate live-action projects that release concurrently. Similarly, DC Studios lead James Gunn will be overseeing movies and TV shows, which explains why shows not tied to the DCU or Matt Reeves' The Batman universe are being canned left and right. Titans likely isn't long for this world either, so the showrunners were, in a way, made to focus solely on that show's mythos and not outside characters like Lex Luthor.

Similarly, with the DCU being developed through TV and film, these projects will probably see the return of Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Even if the character is recast, he'll likely be in the upcoming Man of Steel 2 or some other project that builds him into more of a threat. Hopefully, these next appearances will do a better job of displaying Luthor's cunning and depraved mind, truly showcasing why even the Man of Steel would fear him.