Love him or hate him, there is absolutely no doubt that Jesse Eisenberg will deliver a very unique take on 'Lex Luthor' in Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice next March. The Oscar-nominated actor recently stopped by The Diane Rehm Show (h/t EnStarz), and was asked by a fan (who later uploaded the conversation) about what he used to develop and influence his portrayal of Superman's megalomaniacal archnemesis. His response was well-worth listening to.
"I've always noticed the best thing to channel, as an actor, is yourself. To figure out what makes you angry, what makes you feel vengeful or righteous. Those are the feelings that Lex Luthor has. And use that as opposed to kind of watching Gene Hackman, who's a great actor obviously and played that part originally, and think, 'How can I kind of mirror that?'"
"Because the truth is, me mirroring him would just come off weird. We have different faces, different life experiences, different emotions, but what I do have - that I have more than anybody - is my own feelings, and so I use those, and then the character seems not only real, but emotional and just. He believes he's the hero of his own story - is the kind of the actor cliche - when you're playing the villain, you're the hero of your own story. That's the kind of most interesting way for me as an actor, and I think, for an audience to appreciate as well."
Some fans took issue with Eisenberg's casting when it was first announced back in January 2014. However, it's clear from his performance in The Social Network that he can definitely nail the character's arrogance and superiority. He has a polarising personality himself, but many would argue that's what makes him a perfect fit as Luthor. Do you like the direction he and Snyder have taken the character? As always, sound off with your thoughts below!
Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice hits theatres March 25, 2016.