Has Bryan Cranston Been Cast As Lex Luthor?

It’s been a busy week for casting news from the Batman/Superman film. Cosmic Book News is reporting that Bryan Cranston has been officially cast as Lex Luthor in that film. The site says that Warners is holding up officially telling us the news until the final season of Breaking Bad ends so the announcement can ride the momentum of that to even greater excitement.

Rolling Stone thinks the site is legitimate enough to run the news on their site as it being true, but I am reserving my judgement until the official announcement. Because, after all, Cosmic Book News says in the same article that Warners is trying to use Ben Affleck to sway Matt Damon into a superhero role, as either Martian Manhunter or, in a choice too bizarrely awesome to be true, Aquaman.

One rumor I do hope is true is the one where Cranston has been cast for anywhere from six to ten films. Add this to the rumor that Affleck has been signed up for 13 films, and this would lead me to believe that Warners is serious about making their superhero films a truly shared universe, with many of the characters crossing over into other films. Like I said back in June, this is one way Warners can get one up on Marvel.

The casting of Cranston has been far more well received than Affleck’s casting, as his work as Walter White, and the three Emmys it earned him, have gotten fans exciting. I, however, am wary. His role as the big bad guy in the Total Recall remake was one of the low points of the film. Granted, he wasn’t the only low point, and he didn’t have much to work with, but still. His being Lex Luthor in the film will only work if he brings more Heisenberg to the role and less Cohaagen.