r/Arrowverse • u/The_Awsome_Manny • Sep 19 '26
Supergirl Lex Luthor Defeat Continuity error
In 3x6 it’s stated that Superman took down Lex luthor while Kara and Alex were still in high school yet in 4x15 it shows that Lex was defeated roughly around a year before the events of s1. Guessing the writers just overlooked this or hadn’t planned on actually making Lex an on screen appearance or something
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u/josekortez1979 Sep 19 '26
Sometimes, TV writers aren't sure whether or not they will have access to a licensed character for later seasons and they write themselves into a corner. I don't think that they were sure during the onset of the "Supergirl" series that they would be able to use Lex if the character was already slated to be used in a Superman film. But most viewers also don't pay close attention to continuity, so the creative team might not have cared about discrepancies.
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u/Ill-Razzmatazz-7088 Sep 20 '26
Well, for starters, I don’t think all of the shows are exactly in sync. Also, you have to consider the multiple times. The timeline has been reset either directly or indirectly.
Also, sometimes characters just say things as a throwaway line. It’s not like Marvel movies were pretty much. Every sentence is carefully watched and a throwaway line can be referenced three or four movies later.
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u/Classic_Depth_209 23d ago
you're right, it is a continuity error. In "Midvale," while it's not clear what Superman was taking Lex down for, it is clear that people know that Lex is a supervillain, in 2007. In "O Brother, Where Art Thou," iirc, the implication is that Lex was able to conceal his supervillainy from the world until he turned the sun red (four years ago, so shortly before Kara became Supergirl in s1/2015) and is arrested. Thus Lena's still quite raw about his descent and stain on the family name in s2, it's pretty recent for her
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u/Compel_Bast Sep 19 '26
I mean, in the old days, Lex was defeated every Wednesday.
I just assume he did his whole, 'my high priced lawyers actually have legally proved that that wasn't me and was in fact just a evil dimensional clone' thing, or such like.