Jesse Eisenberg Cast As Lex Luthor In ‘Superman/Batman’
Jesse Eisenberg will be making his way to Metropolis very soon.
According to Variety, Eisenberg, best known for his portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2012’s The Social Network, will helm the role of Lex Luthor, Superman’s most iconic villain in the new, as-of-yet untitled Superman/Batman movie. Director Zack Snyder released a statement on the casting of Eisenberg as Luthor:
“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940,” Snyder said in a statement. “What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”
Another key role was also announced as Academy Award winning actor Jeremy Irons will be filling the shoes of Bruce Wayne’s trusted butler Alfred. While the role of Alfred had previously been played by Michael Caine in all three of the recent Christopher Nolan directed Batman movies, Variety did report that “Man of Steel stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane” will be reprising their roles from the first movie.
Snyder was equally thrilled to have Irons on board. In his statement he mentioned, “It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”
Superman/Batman was originally slated to be released on July 15th, 2015 before Warner Bros. pushed production back to the second quarter of this year. The new release date is now May 6, 2016. The film will be directed by Zack Snyder and written, according to the Hollywood Reporter, “by [Argo writer] Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder.”
Eisenberg meanwhile was last seen in the film Now You See Me, where he made headlines for belitting a female interviewer. His most iconic role however was that of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The thirty-year-old actor was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance of the social media mogul, but was beat out by Jean Dujardin of the film The Artist.
Whether or not Jesse Eisenberg will be sporting Lex Luthor’s signature hairstyle remains to be seen.
[Photo courtesy of AP]
