Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice was met with a cavalcade of negative reviews when it opened in 2016. However, it seemed like Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor took most of the heat. The actor’s wacky portrayal of Superman’s archnemesis made him difficult to take seriously as someone who could pose a threat to the world’s most powerful hero. It’s been two years since his character last showed up onscreen in Justice League. And according to Eisenberg himself, we shouldn’t get our hopes up for another appearance.
While speaking with ComicBookMovie about Zombieland: Double Tap, Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson were asked if they knew when they’d play their respective comic book villains again. Harrelson responded with a blunt “Yes,” referring to his all-but-confirmed role as Cletus Kasady/Carnage in Venom 2. However, Eisenberg’s answer was more nebulous.
“Different venues,” said Eisenberg. “I will say, quite confidently, different venues. [Harrelson’s] will be, like, kind of a movie that people go to and mine will be in my living room that people occasionally go to but mostly one at a time.”
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Eisenberg’s casting as Lex certainly raised a few eyebrows when it was first announced. Director Zack Snyder justified changing the character’s age by pointing out the real world’s uptick in young billionaires. Eisenberg later returned to play Lex in a Justice League post-credits scene that also featured Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke, who was supposed to be the main villain in The Batman when Ben Affleck was still involved. That scene was going to set up a league of supervillains for future films. But with the DCEU in disarray, it doesn’t sound like any upcoming DC movies are going to build on this.
In the meantime, anyone wanting to see Lex Luthor in live-action will have to tune in to The CW’s Arrowverse. Jon Cryer is expected to reprise his Supergirl role during the network’s upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
You hear Eisenberg and Harrelson’s remarks at the 3:55 mark in the video below. Do you think Eisenberg deserves another shot at playing Lex Luthor? Tell us what you think in the comment section!
Recommended Reading: Superman/Batman Vol. 1
