When Jessie Eisenberg was cast as DC’s premiere megalomaniac in Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, online reactions were mixed at best. The casting choice surprised many, with some voicing concern that his appearance and past performances did not match the character of Lex Luthor. Though the movie is still a year away, DC and Warner Bros. have been busy releasing images for the upcoming film, and the first photo of Eisenberg’s Luthor has been released.
First of all, Eisenberg is rocking the chrome-dome. Whether it’s the super serious look or the black and white color, the picture really conveys the fact that this is a man not to be trifled with. His face screams “sociopath,” which, as lovers of DC know, is the perfect way to describe Lex Luthor. Yes, it’s a single image and we haven’t seen any footage of Eisenberg’s Luthor in action yet, but it’s nice to know they got the look right. Hey, as long as he’s not wearing a wig and a checkered suit, it’s a one-up from Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey’s ridiculous performances as the supervillain in past Superman films.
Via Entertainment Weekly
Snyder has released his own statement along with the image, discussing how Eisenberg’s Luthor will fit into the DC film universe.
“He’s not any of the Lexes that you’ve seen, that’s for sure. Other than him being a captain of industry and one person to the world and another person to himself. And bald, of course. Our Lex is disarming and he’s not fake. He says what he believes and he says what’s on his mind. If you can unravel the string and decipher what he means, it’s all there.”
Those unfamiliar with Luthor should know that the twisted billionaire/genius/philanthropist is celebrating his 75th Anniversary this year, first being introduced in Action Comics in 1940. Originally envisioned as a mad scientist crafting diabolical plans to take over the world, Luthor has been re-envisioned as an evil corporate executive in recent decades, using his wealth and intelligence to gain the admiration of the people. Though writers like Mark Waid and Geoff Johns have since brought back the character’s evil scientist roots, he has remained a steadfast symbol of egomania and corporate greed gone wrong.
If there are still doubters that Eisenberg isn’t a good choice to play Luthor, I implore them to watch this clip from The Social Network. Not only does is his performance as Facebook Creator Mark Zuckerberg showcase his enormous talent, but it also reveals he is fully capable of playing a supervillain with aspirations of world domination. Facebook did take over the world, right?
Source: Entertainment Weekly
What about you reader? What do you think of the first image of Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Let us know in the comments below!
