Todd Phillips has become a household name among fans of comic book films thanks to his groundbreaking work on 2019's Joker. The film's introspective look and unique take on Batman's deadliest adversary helped shine a light on precisely what makes a villain and how it isn't always one particular moment or event that would do so. Sometimes it's outside circumstances like poor living or work environments, and other times it could be inherited traits such as mental illness. Because Phillips showed a new side to villainy successfully, there are rumors that he could now be an advisor to future DC projects at Warner Bros. If true, there's one villain that would be perfect for his brand of solo villain films -- Lex Luthor.
In the comics, Lex has been the arch-nemesis of Superman for decades. While he may not have superpowers of his own, his vast intellect has more than aided in making him one of the deadliest enemies of the Man of Steel ever. But unlike Metallo of General Zod, Lex's motivations are born of fear. But not fear of defeat so much as fear of being inferior to a being like Superman. Because of his uncommon motivations, Phillips, whether as director or producer, would have much to work with and dissect to bring Lex to life.
One of the biggest reasons Lex may have a great chance at success is the social stigma of real-life billionaires. In the past, they were people who bought big and rand their companies with little to no known interjection into larger social theaters. However, in recent years, the world has seen billionaires become presidents and begin to take multiple companies and merge them into one. These unique moments have stoked the flames of mistrust among civilians and shown some of Lex's biggest moments reenacted in real-life. Perhaps the most obvious of those was when Lex became President of the United States. By playing on these parallels, much like how Joker played on classism, audiences may connect in a similar fashion.
Another fun aspect that would benefit a Lex solo film is understanding why he's known as a villain to many, even though his public image has been mostly benevolent. At his core, Lex's evil ways get directed toward the likes of Superman and anyone like him. The villain has always believed that humanity could and should be inspiring itself, rather than a visitor from another world needing to do it. This twisted competition that Lex has placed himself in could be the perfect focal point for a film as he would begin to feel inferior to Superman. And that constant competition to prove himself next to him would eventually drive him to murderous intent.
Lex is a special type of enemy in that he will put aside his grudges to save Earth if need be. But that is because he wants to show humanity that an average man can do what Superman can. In a film setting, that could force the audience to initially root for his slow growth as his intentions may have meant well at first. But as the runtime continued, that support would quickly turn dark as all of the promise placed on him would be squandered the more villainous he became.
Much like The Joker, Lex Luthor is a constant hub of complexities and a perfect character to dive into to see how he may have started out as a well-meaning genius and later evolved into someone far more dangerous. Of course, it would be a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. But with Todd Phillips aiding, the story would still feel rooted in reality and emotionally connect with audiences in unexpected ways.