Now that Gal Gadot has been cast as Wonder Woman in BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, we can turn our attention back to another character who has been rumored to appear in Zack Snyder's film: Lex Luthor. Think McFly Think has heard from a source that Warner Bros. has been testing for Lex Luthor, and they might be looking at African American actors for the role.
The site has learned that Denzel Washington was at the top of WB's wish list, but "nothing ever materialized." Idris Elba was also apparently on the studio's list, however it's very unlikely he will be able to play Luthor because of his commitments to Marvel. The site says Arrow's David Ramsey has been approached for the part, although that could make things slightly confusing for fans if the theories that the show will be tied into DC's cinematic universe are true.
But Warner Bros. isn't only interested in African American actors for the part. According to the site, "this does not mean Luthor will definitely be played by an African American."
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN might as well be called JUSTICE LEAGUE at this point, but the site also has some plot details for that planned film. They say the plan is to make the team a "United Nations" of superheroes. They've heard Superman will represent the world as a whole, Ben Affleck's Batman will represent 'Merica, and the role of Flash might go to a Latin or Hispanic actor.
I could definitely see an African American actor playing Lex Luthor, but I'm a little less sold on having the team be a superhero version of the UN. It could work though, and having the team be a superhero version of the UN is different enough that WB wouldn't just be copying Marvel with how they are building their own cinematic universe. It'll be interesting to see if either of these rumors turn out to be true.