Throughout DC movie history, Superman has been featured prominently, and his large cast of villains has grown alongside him. The character and the world he inhabits are so fundamental to any DC worldbuilding that the DCEU and the DCU have both chosen to begin their universes with Superman features. Considering everything we know about Superman (2025), the character is a strong foundation to build a universe. Still, the hero is only as strong as their greatest villain, so it is important to reflect on the strong writing and performances that have contributed to the understanding of these characters.

There are a fair number of remaining Superman villains the DCU can adapt for the first time, as many of the hero’s films have been dependent on repeating some of the more prominent villains. Lex Luthor has featured repeatedly in the past in both television and film, and that pattern will likely continue. Still, even while the same antagonists may repeat multiple times in this list, each is a distinct and special variation on the same core ideas, and the quotes that they have to offer are unique to their iterations or films.

10

“Devils Don’t Come From The Hell Beneath Us, They Come From The Sky”

Lex Luthor Reflecting On The Danger Of Superman In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Jesse Eisenberg’s Lux Luthor is not the most beloved portrayal of the iconic foe, but many of his scenes were impactful in creating a wild and unstable version of the mad genius. In a tense scene, Luthor speaks with Holly Hunter’s senator, unveiling an ominous painting and orating on demons beyond our realm. This line locates Superman and the threat that his existence represents to humanity through effective mythical imagery.

This outlook informs much of Luthor’s fear of otherness, which is a major theme of Dawn of Justice. While his plans and motivations are less insidious, even Batman shares this fear, which results in his attempt to track down and destroy Superman. This quote then contextualizes the fear of alien superpowers, such as what Superman represents. It gives Luthor a relatable motivation, even if he later attempts to use that same power to create weapons for himself.

9

“Others Can Read The Ingredients On A Chewing Gum Wrapper And Unlock The Secrets Of The Universe”

Lex Luthor Imparts Wisdom to Eve Teschmacher In Superman (1978)

Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor is playful, sarcastic, and the smartest person in any room he enters. In Superman, he relentlessly insults his henchman Otis as he schemes within his secret hideout. This quote, however, reflects the character’s insight into the human condition. Seeing the relative value different people can find in different texts points to what Lex sees as fundamental values in intelligence in considering and interrogating what one has read.

That one can read a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the universe is an exaggeration. Still, Lex sees intelligence expressed as a result of interacting with the written word, not simply consuming it. This is an insightful critique of how words can be taken and, within Lex’s enormous underground library, reflects well on how his character interacts with the literature that he reads.

8

“People Are No Damn Good, But They Will Always Need Land, And They Will Pay Through The Nose To Get It!”

Lex Luthor Explains His Plan In Superman Returns (2006)

With the housing crisis rising, Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor would have loved 2024. In this quote, he predicts the rising costs of places to live and constructs a plan around them. In Superman Returns, he plans to generate more land for profit, which aligns with many profiteers today. However, to increase the value of this land, his creation will devastate other places around the globe, sending refugees flocking to his new continent.

Lex’s investment property for passive income exploits the need for people to have a roof over their heads, and it is interesting to see a villainous intent like this explored in a film from nearly twenty years ago. While presented in an over-the-top and cartoonish iteration of the Lex Luthor character inspired by Gene Hackman’s portrayal, Lex’s plan seems less and less ridiculous each year. Superman Returns, too, seems to grow more prescient by the day.

7

“Kneel Before Zod”

General Zod Commands Humanity In Superman II

General Zod is a conqueror, and he will always demand fealty. Following a failed coup on Krypton, Zod and his compatriots survive the planet’s destruction, allowing them to come to Earth and reattempt to assert control there. Angry with Jor-El and his descendant, Superman, Zod wishes to control Earth, and nowhere is this clearer than his iconic commanding line. Arrogant and cruel, Zod’s command to the earthlings and Kal-El alike is simple and concise.

While not the most terrifying design for Zod, Terence Stamp portrays the character with elitist pomp and quiet rage, making every utterance of his popular phrase a moment to cheer. The line has moved into popular culture and lives beyond the film itself. Stamp’s evil General Zod and his iconic words elevate Superman II, perhaps even above the first film in the series.

6

“If God is All Powerful, He Cannot Be Good”

Lex Luthor Reflects On The Man Of Steel In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Much of the conflict in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is built around perceptions of what Superman is and what he stands for. While inaccurate to the heart of Kal-El’s beliefs, it is easy to paint others with a brush that vilifies them. As Lex’s previously listed quote argues, Superman can be cast as a demon. However, here, he changes tactics, referring to him instead as a god.

Zack Snyder uses ideas and imagery of myth and religion to inform much of the Superman story he tells in his trilogy. Like Lex, Snyder seems to want to contend with the idea of an omnipotent superbeing by interpreting myths. The idea Lex expounds in this scene, however, is a perversion, and is informed by fear. Lex wants to control. If there is a being more powerful than Lex, his idea of good is contradicted by its having any authority over him.

5

“It Is Not Enough That I Succeed, Everyone Else Must Fail”

Ross Webster Quotes What He Believes To Be Atilla the Hun In Superman III

Ross Webster, an evil captain of industry, fulfills the Lex Luthor role in Superman III as an intelligent, non-physical antagonist to Kal-El. His philosophy, which he credits to Atilla the Hun, informs his character in shorthand, giving audiences an understanding of the ruthlessness and pettiness that Webster is meant to embody. Webster is an original foe created for the film and did not appear in the comics, making the quick establishment of his principles necessary.

It is unclear if this quote is actually from Atilla the Hun. Various sources credit it to others, including Genghis Khan and Gore Vidal. Still, it is an effective tool for communicating details of the character. While Webster is not the best ranked Superman villain, he is still a decently effective antagonist, and using words like these to explain his personality efficiently gives audiences an understanding of what he represents.

4

“You Alone Will Be Held Responsible By Me”

General Zod Says To Jor-El In Superman (1978) Before Being Banished

General Zod is cruel and shallow, spouting threats in a pathetic attempt to save his skin. On trial for an attempted coup on Krypton, the council is forced to pass judgment on him. As their guilty verdict is handed out, Zod makes one last attempt to intimidate Jor-El into setting him free. Jor-El does not bow to this, and the three Kryptonian antagonists are locked away in the phantom zone for a lengthy stretch.

This was an unintentional gift, as it allowed them to survive the destruction of Krypton. However, Zod spent his entire time in the phantom zone stewing over his last words, building up further resentment towards Jor-El and everyone in his family line. Coming face to face with his son, Kal-El, on Earth in Superman II informs his character’s journey. In this effective scene from the first film, the inspiration for Zod’s drive and vicious antagonism to Superman are born.

3

“Every Action I Take, No Matter How Violent Or How Cruel, Is For The Greater Good Of My People”

General Zod Justifies His Actions In Man of Steel

General Zod in the Zack Snyder films is a different character than in the Reeve films. Still bitter, still full of rage, this Zod is more idealistic and pursues something bigger than himself. While the previous Zod is driven by anger and revenge, this Zod has a dedicated fealty to his people. This outlook, however, does not allow him to find any value in humanity or the human people, seeing them as less than Kryptonians.

In this quote, Zod’s motivation is made clear. He wishes to terraform the earth and turn it into a new Krypton because he has faith in Kryptonians as a biologically better entity. Humans are insects to him, which can only be ruled over or destroyed. While he does not find great remorse in their destruction, this line shows that he is not so blind that he cannot imagine how his acts might be construed. This version is a more complex, if less colorful, character iteration.

2

“Nobody Wants War. I Just Want To Keep The Threat Alive”

Lex Luthor Says To Superman In Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor is colorful, exuberant, and playful. He is selfish and often selectively blind to the impact of his actions. In Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, he makes this clear with his cavalier attitude toward the threats he creates, including the invention of Nuclear Man. Still, even Lex recognizes that there are acts of destruction he does not wish for. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do much to avoid them.

Lex Luthor is fundamentally selfish and looks out for himself and his best interests at every turn. Perhaps the most dominant characteristic of the Gene Hackman version of the character is that he only cares about himself. Every word he speaks and action he takes serves this ideal; others are treated as foolish and disposable. He does not wish for the world to burn, but if necessary to get what he wants, he will reluctantly take it with a laugh and a smile.

1

“If History Has Proven Anything, It Is That Evolution Always Wins”

Faora During A Fight With Superman In Man of Steel (2013)

Speaking to the dominance of Kryptonians over earthlings, Zod’s compatriot gets into a fight with Superman during Man of Steel and lectures him on this philosophy between throwing punches. It is interesting to see the idea of Kryptonians presented then as an evolutionary advancement over humanity rather than the gods Zack Snyder seems to like to cast them as. Still, this informs the worldview of the Kryptonian invaders, asserting that survival of the fittest is the only path forward.

Faora is violent and driven by an ideal, but her assertions do question deeply seated human beliefs in evolution. If survival of the fittest is truly a biological imperative, then humanity may be doomed to fall to greater forces should they ever exist. The DC Universe is populated with many of these opponents, and were it not for Kal-El, even for Superman‘s weaknesses, humanity would have fallen many times before. Only by the will and faith of the Man of Steel can humanity’s goodness persist.