Who did Gene Hackman play in Superman? Iconic role revisited as legendary star passes away at 95
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 95. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office reported that he was discovered dead with his wife, 64-year-old Betsy Arakawa, and their dog.
As per Reuters' Thursday, February 27, report, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza informed the Santa Fe New Mexican outlet about the tragic incident earlier that day. In a statement, Mendoza added that the community is not in danger and that an inquiry is being conducted to understand the cause of their deaths.
The outlet further reported that the sheriff said that:
"Foul play is not suspected as a factor in those deaths at this time; however, the exact cause of death has not been determined."
Hackman was one of Hollywood's most well-liked stars, having portrayed Lex Luthor in Christopher Reeve's Superman films, among other memorable roles throughout his career.
Lex Luthor, portrayed by Gene Hackman, is Superman's arch enemy
In the Warner Bros. Superman film series, American actor Gene Hackman played the role of Lex Luthor, a supervillain based on the original DC Comics character of the same name.
Lex Luthor made his debut in the 1978 film Superman: The Movie. He then played the same role in Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Luthor is a charming but ruthless businessman driven by greed and the urge to defraud as much money as possible to demonstrate his brilliance.
Lex Luthor has no regard for the repercussions of his schemes or their impact on other people. His ambitions are counterbalanced by his propensity to surround himself with poor people. He is troubled by his clumsy goon Otis and his guilt-ridden girlfriend, Eve Teschmacher.
When Lex Luthor first appeared in the film, he lived in a lavish underground lair in Metropolis. He observed Otis moving through the subway tunnels towards a wall that led to a passageway to the hiding place.
Later in the story, following Clark Kent or Superman's entrance in his superhero outfit, Lex Luthor argued with his helpers on whether or not he was real. Later, to turn California into great beachfront real estate, Gene Hackman's Luthor planned to deflect a nuclear missile to strike the San Andreas Fault and let it sink into the ocean.
He concluded that a meteorite discovered in Addis Ababa is, in fact, a radioactive fragment of the planet Krypton that exploded. Once he knew about Superman's weakness, he almost killed him with the Kryptonite, but Teschmacher helped him escape.
Lex Luthor was supposed to fire a nuclear missile using Hackensack, New Jersey, as its ground zero. However, the plan failed, and Superman took Luthor and Otis to prison after repairing the damage to the San Andreas region.
Lex Luthor, as portrayed by Gene Hackman, is perceived as acting more like a hustler scam artist than a mastermind. This Luthor appears to be driven primarily by a desire to become wealthy in real estate rather than an obsession with vengeance against Superman or a desire to rule the planet.
Despite being bald, this version of Lex Luthor appears worried about his lack of hair and frequently dons several gaudy wigs to hide it. Despite his blustery demeanor, Luthor is a dangerous guy who can murder Superman and destroy California. Gene Hackman's Luthor also has a cowardly tendency to try and talk his way out of problems when he is not in total control of the issue.
In the meantime, Gene Hackman's cause of death has yet to be revealed. His family hasn't made a public statement as of yet.
