Well there go all the theories about Bryan Cranston or Joaquin Phoenix playing Lex Luthor because Jesse Eisenberg will instead play the lead villain role in the upcoming ‘Batman vs. Superman’ film…
Internet rumors are always fun because it creates a stir and gets people guessing but reality is often times far from speculation and that’s exactly the case for the casting surrounding the upcoming big budget sequel to Man of Steel, currently titled ‘Batman vs. Superman‘
According to a press release from Warner Bros on Friday, Jesse Eisenberg — star of ‘The Social Network‘ and ‘Zombieland‘ — will play Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie slated to begin filming later this year.
The 30-year old actor is a veteran of numerous top films throughout his career, but this will certainly be his most high profile role yet.
“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940,” director Zack Snyder said via press release “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.”
Also announced on Friday was the casting of Batman’s trusted butler Alfred, who will be played by veteran actor Jeremy Irons. The Academy Award winner has starred in several well known movies including ‘Reversal of Fortune‘, ‘Dead Ringers‘ and ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance‘.
Eisenberg and Irons join a cast that also includes newcomer Gal Gadot, who will be playing Wonder Woman in the upcoming movie. The film is expected to serve as a pre-cursor to an eventual DC/Warner Bros project that will see the Justice League come to life on the big screen.
The new movie tentatively titled ‘Batman vs Superman‘ will be released in theaters on May 6, 2016
Stay tuned to NerdcoreMovement.com for more casting news for Batman vs. Superman as it becomes available.
