Joaquin Phoenix as Lex Luthor
Let's start with the obvious.
Variety broke the news saying Warner Bros. is looking at the Academy Award winner after his performance in "Her."
Not convinced he could play the head of LexCorp? We weren't at first either as this ubiquitous interview with David Letterman came to mind, but then we remembered him as treacherous Commodus in "Gladiator."
We can get behind this.
Jason Mamoa as a villain (or a good guy?)
The former "Game of Thrones" star's name has been thrown around for an unspecified role.
Rumors have him pegged for a few roles — Superman nemesis Doomsday (who has appeared as a villain for both the Bat and Man of Steel in the past, sometimes together) — or a possible ally in the Martian Manhunter.
However, with casting of Wonder Woman and rumors of the Flash making an appearance, it seems a little too soon to be throwing this many heroes into the mix.
Our take: Doomsday seems more logical. And it appears from an extra found on the "Man of Steel" Blu-ray — a Kryptonian sequence translated to "Beware Bertron’s curse, for he is named Doomsday" — that Warner Bros. could introduce him in the future.
Callan Mulvey as an unnamed villain
Again Variety hinted the "Zero Dark Thirty" actor was being looked at to play a nemesis for the Batman / Superman duo.
Whether or not that villain is Lex, Mulvey has the appeal of a younger, brash hot shot Luthor looks wise. If Warners is planning to give the character an older classic feel, than Phoenix makes much more sense.
Denzel Washington as Lex Luthor
Some may groan over a race change to a legendary comic character.
However, Washington has proven himself time and time again as an action star ("Man on Fire"/"American Gangster."). The star's last collaboration with Warner Bros. was 2010's "The Book of Eli."
Unfortunately, this sounds like more of a rumor given the source.
Mark Strong as Lex Luthor
You may not have liked AMC's "Low Winter Sun," but Strong certainly looks the part and the actor's name was among the first to pop up as a potential Lex.
When confronted about the rumors by Digital Spy he hinted at involvement with a simple, "All I can say is … watch this space."
However, with "LWS" recently cancelled due to poor ratings it's probably safe to say he's not a likely contender anymore.
Bonus: A few other men we wouldn't mind seeing as Lex:
Bryan Cranston: Everyone went wild when they thought a wild rumor about the "Breaking Bad" drug lord playing Luthor was true.
Could Cranston handle the role? Obviously. Is it likely to happen? It seems pretty unlikely. He told the Boston Globe the news of a supposed six-film deal movie was news to him.
Madds Mikkelson: The "Hannibal" actor is one of our favorite onscreen villains right now. If you haven't seen him on the NBC series or "Casino Royale," he has a stare that will kill.
Kevin Spacey: No one's talking about Spacey, but we can't help but think of the "House of Cards" actor's performance in the 2006 "Superman Returns."
After all, he gave us this classic delivery of the Man of Steel's one weakness: "Kryptonite."