Lex Luthor Actor Helped Set Up “Supergirl” Producer James Gunn and His Wife Jennifer Holland’s Marriage (Exclusive)

Michael Rosenbaum played Lex Luthor on the TV series ‘Smallville’

NEED TO KNOW

• James Gunn and Jennifer Holland were introduced in 2015 by Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor on Smallville
• The couple married in 2022 and have collaborated on projects like Peacemaker and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• Holland had a cameo in Gunn’s Superman film, voicing a robot as a personal Easter egg for their relationship

Long before James Gunn produced Supergirl, he and his wife, Jennifer Holland, had their meet-cute because of a famous comic book villain.

Gunn, 59, and Holland, 38, attended the Supergirl world premiere on June 22 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, where she spoke about how the Superman franchise has been a major throughline in their love.

The couple was first set up by Michael Rosenbaum, who played villain Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville, which ran from 2001 to 2011.

"So, James and Michael Rosenbaum have been really good friends for a while," Holland exclusively told PEOPLE. "I think they met on an airplane. And my good friend Sarah is really good friends with Michael Rosenbaum."

Holland explained that Sarah would attend "big mafia nights" where everyone would play the classic party game, which is how her friend was first introduced to Gunn.

"James saw me on Sarah's Instagram and asked Michael, 'Hey, who's this girl Jen?' He said, 'I don't know her that well. I don't think you'd like her, but I can set you guys up if you want,' and James was like, 'Yeah, why not? Set me up,' " Holland said.

She continued, "And thankfully Rosenbaum set the bar really low and I was able to meet the expectations that James had."

The two met soon after in 2015 and have been together since. Holland and Gunn got married in 2022 during a ceremony in Aspen, Colo. Their wedding guests included Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Karen Gillan, John Cena, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nathan Fillion and more.

"After over 7 years together, I finally married the love of my life, @jenniferlholland," Gunn wrote on Instagram. "What an incredible, beautiful, stunning day surrounded by the most wonderful family and friends in the world."

"James! Thank you for sharing your love, life and family with me," Holland wrote in her own Instagram post. "Thank you for choosing me, for elevating me, and for always making me belly laugh. Here's to many more years to follow the first extraordinary 7."

Holland went on to work with Gunn on the TV show Peacemaker, where she has played Emilia Harcourt. The two have also collaborated on his films including 2021's The Suicide Squad and 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, according to her IMDb.

Then, in 2025's Superman starring David Corenswet as the caped superhero, Gunn shared that Holland had a cameo in the film by voicing a robot at the end of the movie.

"You'll know Jen Holland, my wife, is also the robot at the end, just not credited," Gunn told ComicBook.com. "I actually recorded her on my phone. I said, 'Oh, I need a robot that's not really interested in what Number 4 is saying,'"

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"I will say that what I did with the voiceover in Superman was really just meant to be an Easter egg for my and James' relationship," Holland told PEOPLE about her part. "Like fans saying, 'I know who that person is.' So it was just meant to be a fun thing. I guess in terms of my character again, we just have to wait."

In Supergirl, Milly Alcock plays the titular character. "When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice," the film's synopsis reads.

The cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, as well as Corenswet, 32, and Jason Momoa.

Supergirl is now playing in theaters.

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