The $30 million toe in the water

The official first look at Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor warsuit for Man of Tomorrow has generated all kinds of excitement for the upcoming Superman sequel, with the suit's tangible charm reminiscent of early Iron Man suits.

According to the report,the progression of the MCU saw some of that practicality diminishing in favor of digital CGI elements as Iron Man's arors became more complex and high-tech.

However, the new warsuit reveal serves as a solid reminder of what made the MCU's earliest Iron Man suits so effective, with Stan Winston Studios creating fully practical suits of armor for Iron Man's various appearances.

Lex Luthor's medieval aesthetic

The excitement around Hoult's suit underscores a broader fan desire for tangible, real-world elements in superhero films, with the return to practical effects potentially signaling a new era of grounded storytelling.

As both DC and Marvel continue their cinematic journeys, the response to the warsuit is any indication, audiences are ready for a Superman showdown with real weight behind it.

Looking to the MCU's future, one has to wonder about RDJ's imminent debut as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and whether or not Marvel Studios has also embraced practical armor once more.

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While it does have high-tech capabilities that will no doubt require some CGI elements just like Luthor's no doubt will,Victor von Doom's armor has always had a medieval aesthetic that would be great to see fully realized practically.

Thanks to an official image shared by James Gunn and new set videos from Man of Tomorrow's ongoing production, it's been confirmed that Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor warsuit is a fully practical costume in all of its green-and-purple glory.

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As such, Hoult's Lex Luthor armor feels like a most-welcome throwback thanks to James Gunn, with the new warsuit reveal serving as a solid reminder of what made the MCU's earliest Iron Man suits so effective .

Looking as though it's been ripped straight from the original comics, Luthor's new armor makes him look more imposing and more than prepared for a major showdown than ever before.

Broader context

The MCU's first phase of films all had fully practical suits of armor for Iron Man's various appearances, with CGI used when necessary for the suit's various functions.

As such, there was some genuine weight that gradually diminished following 2012's Avengers heading into the second phase of MCU films.

Open questions

One has to wonder about RDJ's imminent debut as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and whether or not Marvel Studios has also embraced practical armor once more.

Will the return to practical effects signal a new era of grounded storytelling for both DC and Marvel?

Only time will tell, but for now, Man of Tomorrow is poised to deliver a Lex Luthor that feels both classic and fresh,and if the response to the warsuit is any indication, audiences are ready for a Superman showdown with real weight behind it.