When Jessie Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor for the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU), his fans as well as fans of the franchise wondered whether he was going to showcase Luthor’s iconic bald hair. Director Zack Snyder just revealed some key details regarding Luthor’s role in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”
“He is not any of the Lexes that you have seen, that is for sure,” Snyder told Entertainment Weekly. “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 is not fake,” he added. “He says what he believes and he says what is on his mind. If you can unravel the string and decipher what he means, it is all there.”
Fans of the franchise were initially doubtful about the decision to cast Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. He might not be the first person fans would think of to play the role of the super villain but his performance in “The Social Network” as a morally challenged billionaire appeared to convince them. After all, Snyder’s take on this bald megalomaniac was pretty similar to the original hyperintelligent DC villain.
Eisenberg’s Luthor portrayal will be developed, making the character more appropriate for a technologically inclined world, as reported by Screen Rant. This is in contrast to the Lex Luthor roles portrayed by Kevin Spacey, John Shea, and Gene Hackman in previous “Superman” flicks, and by Michael Rosenbaum in the hit TV series, “Smallville.”
According to the rumor mill, Luthor will be making an appearance in the upcoming “Suicide Squad” by David Ayer, which will be hitting theaters a little over four months after “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” premieres on big screens.
Eisenberg’s Luthor look is clearly different from the others. Taking a look at the photo, it would appear that the cigar-smoking billionaire look is out the window as “The Social Network” star is merely wearing a simple shirt and has no expensive accessories except for his piercing stare, according to Independent. His newly shaved head, which used to hold curly brown hair, further added to his menacing appeal.
“What is great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain,” Snyder said. “He is 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,” Snyder added.
