My Thoughts on Why Jesse Eisenberg is Cast as Lex Luthor

Yesterday, updates reveal that along with Jeremy Irons casted as Alfred Pennyworth, Jesse Eisenberg has been casted as Lex Luthor which was a major surprise for some fans and users on the internet. Some of them are upset not knowing how possible it is for a guy like Jesse Eisenberg to be casted as Superman's arch nemisis and why. Well I may not know specifically why Zack Snyder had him cast as Luthor but I can put it in good word what his reasons might be for doing so.

Editorial Opinion
By PredatorRIsing - Feb 01, 2014 06:02 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman vs. Superman
Source: comicbookmovie.com

Today, updates reveal that along with Jeremy Irons casted as Alfred Pennyworth, Jesse Eisenberg has been casted as Lex Luthor which was a major surprise for some fans and users on the internet. Some of them are upset not knowing how possible it is for a guy like Jesse Eisenberg to be casted as Superman's arch nemisis and why. Well I may not know specifically why Zack Snyder had him cast as Luthor but I can put it in good word what his reasons might be for doing so.

As many superhero comic fans have known throughout the years, Lex Luthor is Superman's arch enemy. He was brought to live in the comics since the early 1940's and has been very well known for his role as a billionare, scientist, and roughneck foe to the Man of Steel and just as the DC Cinematic Universe has just started beginning with last year's Man of Steel, lots have been debating on Lex Luthor for the sequel voting actors like Bryan Cranston to do the character and up to the surprise of many potential fans came the person cast for the character being much younger beyond any of our expectations:

Jesse Eisenberg


Surely he wasn't who many of us were expecting and yet someone we didn't want but me, I don't mind him being the bald headed baddie because after researching the character online throughout the past couple years, I'm sure that director Zack Snyder has a good reason for casting someone like Jesse Eisenberg for the role of Lex Luthor instead of someone older like Bryan Cranston, Callen Mulvey, Joaquin Phoenix, or many other actors rumored for the character in the past several months before today and this is one way to look at it;

Lex Luthor, the arch enemy out of many of Superman's foes has been the one Superman villain most commonly seen and most frequently used in many of the previous cartoons, films, and video games in the DC Universe and that because now that the DC Cinematic Universe has already begun, many of you are upset that a specific actor you all favor as a perfect role model for a certain comic book hero or villain isn't being cast and that someone you were not counting on or least expecting is being cast for any of your favorite character in the films. Well many of you people shouldn't be upset about it because certain setback in changes on how characters are to be depicted in films are sure to happen so often, especially at times like these.

Well to be honest, this isn't the first time certain characters don't get exact comic book treatment in certain cinematic films. Haven't any of you guys seen the error that Kevin Feige and the rest of Marvel Studios purposely caused on the Mandarin by screwing up Kingsley's character and ripping us off with Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian as their excuse of an MCU Mandarin and to the fact that director Marc Webb purposely chose Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn as the Green Goblin instead of Chris Cooper's Norman Osborn in the Amazing Spider-Man 2. Well it seems that other than Kevin Feige's Marvel Studios making some characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe go different from the comics, other studios are doing the same as well.

Well stuff like this was bound to happen sooner later and if many of don't believe me that the reasons for Jesse Eisenber being casted as Lex Luthor has been because of how common he was at appearing in so many TV shows and films, then maybe it's because Snyder didn't appreciate many of you guys cursing Ben Affleck for being cast as Batman that he thinks that making the DC Cinematic version of Lex Luthor someone least fit for the character would teach all of you a lesson or maybe it's that Lex Luthor not suppose to be the villain of this film that the real main villain of this upcoming film maybe the other villain who is yet to be confirmed, which is very much likely to be Metallo.

Yeah that's right, one of the possible reasons to why Snyder and Warner Bros would choose to have the Batman vs Superman movie postponed for 2016 over needing more time to realize the film's visual and special effects is to prefect the cyborg super villain's depiction in the film. Metallo is way more serious fitting for the main villain role in the movie so think about it. After what just happened in the first film, don't you think that the villain of this film should be someone that survived the aftermath and is in critically injured condition and blaming Superman for General Zod's attack on the planet? Surely then again Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor maybe the lead villain of the film afterall but for what reasons would he have to oppose Superman and Batman in this film? Blaming the Man of Steel for making him get his hair burned off, or making him pay off a huge forturne to have most of Metropolis rebuilt after General Zod's assault on the planet with his World Engine? Come on. That would be to obvious and not so dramatic enough. It has to be much more deeper than that.

Anyway just stay in touch for the film once it comes out

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Ghostt
Ghostt - 2/1/2014, 9:52 PM
This article is all over the place.

I think jollem summed it up well. Jesse can come off as scary intelligent. Watch 'NowYou See Me'
BenjiWest
BenjiWest - 2/1/2014, 9:54 PM
That screen junkies cut actually got me excited for Jesse's Luthor; in particular the scene were he nonchalantly shrugs, with this smug indignation of entitlement. Which is PERFECT for Luthor in this new MoS world.

I'm curious to see how Ben will play off him, seems as if Bruce will be old money rich guy, whereas Lex might be new money rich, a la Zuckerberg.
Bearjew
Bearjew - 2/1/2014, 10:05 PM
Good editorial though I do not look forward to sifting through the 200 more Jesse Eisenberg Lex identical to it and dividng them into glass half full perspective vs glass half empty.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 2/1/2014, 10:14 PM
I'm not sure how the film can pull it off by having a young Lex Luthor go up against Batman and Superman. I'm thinking it can be done but i'm just not sure if Jesse will be up for it.
LegendaryOutlaw
LegendaryOutlaw - 2/1/2014, 10:42 PM
All I have to say about him is Rio and Zombieland. He has given off too much of a wimpish look and voice that every time I remember ahe will be Lex, another bullet flies through my head.
BenjiWest
BenjiWest - 2/1/2014, 11:01 PM
Yeah, woody Harrelson should've been Lex.
6of13
6of13 - 2/2/2014, 4:55 AM
"while Eisenberg is going to outsmart you within seconds and make you feel like you're as smart as shit.

@Blackjack
I completely agree with that statement. I would like to add to it by saying that he will outsmart people within just a few moments but he will be able to do it with a level of condescending egotism.

........

@PredatorRising: Remember, Lex is a very ego driven character. So, I cannot agree with the idea that Lex will be angry because he has to spend lots of money to help rebuild Metropolis. On the contrary, it will put him in the limelight and make him look like a hero in the eyes of the public. That helps to inflate his sense of self-importance and validate how superior he feels to everyone else. I think the whole idea of Lex having a superiority complex, which is actually stemming from a massive inferiority complex, is very dramatic and fascinating.

........

Initially, I was very against Eisenberg being cast as Lex, but slowly I am starting to like it.
6of13
6of13 - 2/2/2014, 5:14 AM
@BlackJack
I hope they use the version of Lex from Public Enemies for a little inspiration, as Power Girl says in it that Lex makes her skin crawl.
MrCBM56
MrCBM56 - 2/2/2014, 8:11 AM
I love this thread. I agree with mostly everything you guys said. :)
Hellsboy
Hellsboy - 2/2/2014, 8:23 AM
Eisenberg will be the intellectual luthor I'm fine with him being the puppeteer behind the curtain but we do need a physical threat so we need another villain in the movie my vote is luthor funds metallo project to combat superman
Rao7000
Rao7000 - 2/2/2014, 9:28 AM
Ahh!!! What could have been.

6of13
6of13 - 2/2/2014, 11:11 AM
I agree that Lex has been overused, but he does have to be in this new DCCU in some capacity - he is one the most influential DC villains after all. It's debatable at this point just to how much of Lex we want to see in this movie. Personally, I would love to see the movie focus more on the Superman/Batman dynamic rather then a Superman/Lex dynamic.

It is likely that Lex will create Metallo for the military so that they can have an asset they can control. The fact that Batman is in this movie has me hoping that this movie will be far more than just Superman vs Lex/Metallo team.

What is important though is that BvS will be an overture to Justice League.





6of13
6of13 - 2/2/2014, 11:12 AM
*than not then
6of13
6of13 - 2/2/2014, 11:19 AM
@Bropus
Koluan/humanoid Brainiac or AI Brainiac?

Bearjew
Bearjew - 2/2/2014, 6:36 PM
If you watch the Sherlock episode: the Reichenbach Fall, Moriarty basically twists everyone's perspectives of Superman and makes it so even Lestrade and Watson start to question Sherlock's credibility, sort of like Ultimates with Thor. I'd like to see Lex do something like that with Superman.
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