Could Bradley Cooper Be Lex Luthor in 'Man of Steel'?

An interesting rumor has surfaced in regards to Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel." The geek world is all abuzz over an article that stated actor Bradley Cooper would possibly have a cameo in the upcoming Superman reboot as none other than arch nemesis Lex Luthor. Website Cosmic Book News announced it had received the unconfirmed tip.

Rumors of big name actors having cameos or major roles that don't necessarily fit their normal resumes are a dime a dozen these days. This reminds me of the rumor floating around that Brad Pitt was going to be playing Professor Moriarity in the new "Sherlock Holmes" film. Obviously, we see where that went.

It's always exciting to hear news like this and hope that an actor is going to break out of his comfort zone and take on something a little different from his usual types of roles. However, many times it's not likely. You just never can tell in Hollywood.

The rumor stated that Cooper took the Luthor cameo after production on "Paradise Lost" was called off. It could be possible; the first draft of the "Man of Steel" script reportedly featured the character using Kryptonite to send Kryptonians through a Phantom Zone portal in the final battle. Luthor thinks about sending Superman through the portal as well but stops.

One thing I'm pretty sure of is that Luthor won't figure into the plot too heavily in "Man of Steel." At the most, we will possibly see the character introduced at the end of the film as a way to lead into a sequel. I believe Snyder would do that.

Having a rugged Hollywood pretty boy like Bradley Cooper take on the role of Lex Luthor would definitely fit into what Snyder and Warner Bros. seem to be trying to do with the reboot. He would be a younger, more dashing Luthor than we've had in the past. He certainly doesn't match the actors who have played him in the past like Gene Hackman, John Shea, and Kevin Spacey. The closest we've gotten to a young, handsome Lex Luthor would be Michael Rosenbaum in "Smallville."

"Man of Steel" stars Henry Cavill as Superman, Diane Lane as Martha "Ma" Kent, Kevin Costner as Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as Zod, and Russell Crowe as Jor-El. Zack Snyder directing this movie doesn't incite any excitement in me for this project. The only thing that is keeping me interested is the fact that the original story was co-written by Christopher Nolan and is being produced by him as well. The movie is scheduled to be released on June 14, 2013.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

How 'Superman: The Movie' Launched the Superhero Genre
"Superman: The Black Ring Volume 1" Graphic Novel Review
Could We See a Batman/Superman Team-Up Movie Soon?

Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.

Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!