While rumors are still swirling as to which actor Warner Brothers will select to inherit the cape and cowl of Batman in their ‘Man of Steel’ sequel, eyes are shifting to who will take on the role of Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor.  Two names have surfaced as likely candidates.

Latino Review strongly hints that ‘Breaking Bad’ star Bryan Cranston is the lead candidate.  The actor has won two Golden Globes for his work on that show, which is kicking off its final season this fall.  Could he be looking to join a different franchise with his hit series ending.  Also, he won several awards for the movie ‘Argo’ which was also produced by Warner Brothers.

But there’s another name in the mix– Mark Strong, who previously portrayed Sinestro in the ‘Green Lantern’ movie.  You may think this is double-dipping, but it seems increasingly likely that DC/WB is writing that movie off and will relaunch Green Lantern as part of its planned ‘Justice League’ movie.  Strong has a new series, ‘Low Winter Sun’, that begins airing in the UK this fall.  When asked by Digital Spy about whether or not the rumors of him portraying the bald super villain were true, he cagily replied “All I can say is… watch this space.”

While not an outright confession, that sounds mighty leading.  So do we have a Luthor or not?

While Cranston is more familiar to US audiences, Strong does convey a sense of gravitas.  Which actor would you rather see in the role of mad scientist and pie thief?  Or would you rather see someone else in the role?  Leave a comment below with your suggestions!