Home Entertainment Jesse Eisenberg talks about BATMAN V SUPERMAN’s “realistic” Lex Luthor

Jesse Eisenberg talks about BATMAN V SUPERMAN’s “realistic” Lex Luthor

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Lex Luthor (2)

Let’s face it, there’s really only one true Lex Luthor. If you guessed “Gene Hackman” or “Kevin Spacey”, you would be pitifully wrong on both counts. No, the greatest depiction of Superman’s bald genius nemesis has easily been the Clancy Brown voiced version in Bruce Timm’s Superman: The Animated Series that ran in the 90’s.

And Jesse Eisenberg sure as hell ain’t no Clancy freakin’ Brown. Because of that, the skittish Eisenberg’s casting as a young Luthor in Batman v Superman has left some fans a bit worried, especially so after a recent trailer in which he acted rather foppish. Lex Luthor should never fop.

But this is the new Luthor we’re getting, and speaking to CBM, Eisenberg tried to explain some of the reasoning behind such a stark departure from the historical depictions of the character.

The character is in line with what audiences want to see now, which is a more modern, psychologically realistic concept of Lex Luthor. His motivations are multifaceted; he has a way of using language that’s specific to the way his mind works; he struggles with interesting philosophical dilemmas like that of the individual having too much power, even if that individual is using that power for good.

For instance, Superman has so far been using his powers to do some good, but is it safe to have someone like that walking the streets? It’s great that all of this happens in the context of a very exciting superhero movie.

The Social Network and Now You See Me star elaborated further, explaining that if he had stuck to the more traditional approach to Luthor it would have robbed the character of the necessary theatricality and the actor of his ability to really act.

Lex-Luthor-(1)

He reminds me of one of those characters in old Greek theater who very explicitly state the philosophical dilemma at hand and put it in a way that feels in line with that character’s interests and voice. He speaks in broad themes and ideas: That’s what makes the character very theatrical and yet authentic.

This is the kind of role actors really like to play because you don’t feel like it’s a problem if you color outside the lines. I can be as funny as I want to be in the context of my character behaving poorly, and I can be as sad as I want because the character’s also going through real internal conflict. Take it as far as you want and be as theatrical as you want to be – it’s all correct.

The previous movies are interesting to watch, but they feel unrelated. This incarnation of the character is drawn so differently. I’d read the comic books, but I figured out pretty quickly there’s not much there that relates to an acting role; it’s just a different format. You know the old joke about actors—if you’re playing the messenger, you think it’s a play about the messenger—but the main characters are wonderful as well.

And speaking on main characters, the titular duo in Batman v Superman will of course be played by Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill. Eisenberg dished on what the dynamic was like between the three popular actors.

They’re both very smart, funny people. They were wonderful to work with because we were all sort of adjusting things to make the scenes as good as they could be. Henry has already played Superman in another movie so he has such a strong idea of his character.

That was fun for me because I could play with that. Ben Affleck is also very sharp. Doing this was a lot of fun because the three of us like to improvise, changing dialogue and all. But it was also strange for me: I have a lot of respect for both of them and yet my character mocks them both a lot in the movie. But that was just the nature of the thing.

I’m still not wholly convinced of Eisenberg as Luthor, but I do believe he has the potential to pull off the type of calm malevolence – tinted by the self-belief that he’s actually doing the right thing – that Luthor needs. Only time will tell though if he actually delivers, and luckily we don’t have that much time left until Batman v Superman gets here on March 25, 2016.

Originally posted on The Movies.

Last Updated: February 17, 2016

No Comments

  1. He comes across as a bit too manic in the trailers.

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      February 17, 2016 at 14:13

      Agree. I’m hoping they specifically chose those scenes to show the audience to detract from the rest of him. If that’s his public persona, it makes me wonder what he could be like in private.

      Reply

      • Commander Admiral Chief

        February 17, 2016 at 14:18

        You wonder about his privates?

        Reply

        • Original Heretic

          February 17, 2016 at 14:22

          If I started wondering that, I’d be rinsing my own mind out with Dettol. And jet fuel. But then the steel girders in my brain might melt.

          Reply

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 17, 2016 at 14:23

            Don’t forget the napalm!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 17, 2016 at 14:23

            hehe. You said palm.

          • Hammersteyn

            February 17, 2016 at 14:24

            XD

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 17, 2016 at 14:24

            Privates and palm, how else?

            xD

          • Original Heretic

            February 17, 2016 at 14:25

            You’e given this a great deal of thought.

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 17, 2016 at 14:25

            Actually no, hahaha, it just…came to me

          • Original Heretic

            February 17, 2016 at 14:30

            Did it come right into the palm of your hand? In private?

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 17, 2016 at 15:07

            We are talking about you here, my privates are, private, huehuehue

          • Original Heretic

            February 17, 2016 at 15:09

            You threw this my way. I’m convinced it’s transference of some kind. Don’t put your dirty palms on me!

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 17, 2016 at 15:47

            My palms are cleaner than most peoples faces

          • Original Heretic

            February 17, 2016 at 15:51

            People have faces THAT dirty?!?

          • Commander Admiral Chief

            February 18, 2016 at 06:51

            Well, this IS South Africa after all

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            February 17, 2016 at 14:25

            Idle hands?

      • Matthew Rocca

        February 24, 2016 at 01:50

        I think it’s definitely just a part of his public persona, and many fans are perhaps becoming a bit too worried over what is truly just part of his social costume. Designer Patrick Tatopolous has even confirmed that “everything about Lex is a facade”. We can probably presume from that quote that he is behaving “foppish” and somewhat “manic” because that’s part of his ruse to fool people — in particular Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent in this scene — into not viewing him as the mastermind threat he truly is. As for what he is like in private, we’ve seen small glimpses of the real Lex in moments such as his response to Lois’s accusation that he is “psychotic”, as well as his “devils don’t come from Hell beneath us” moment and “If man won’t kill God, the Devil will do it.” *That’s* the real Lex, and we’re only just seeing small glimpses of the man behind the mask. I’m pretty sure we’ll get a much fuller, more complex picture of who he truly is in the film.

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    February 17, 2016 at 14:12

    Not really sold on Jesse. They’ll probably cast Michael Cera as Darkseid next

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      February 17, 2016 at 14:36

      You shut up!

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        February 17, 2016 at 14:46

        Yes, Jim Parsons would be way better.

        Reply

  3. Columbus Top Photography

    February 17, 2016 at 14:50

    Family Portrait Photographers Columbus

    Reply

  4. Marcus

    February 17, 2016 at 15:14

    Everyone called Heath Ledger too “soft” and “friendly” to play the Joker.
    I can’t wait for this movie and judge his role after. You know, like somehow after watching a movie we know more about acting then any actor on earth.

    Reply

  5. Dane

    February 18, 2016 at 08:11

    Illuminati!

    Reply

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