‘Batman vs Superman’: Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred
Despite all of the rumors of Bryan Cranston, the role of Lex Luthor, the role has now been cast and may surprise fans interested in the Man of Steel sequel, nicknamed Batman vs Superman.
Oscar nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as the iconic villain with Jeremy Irons joining the cast as Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler.
“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940″ Director Zack Snyder said in a statement announcing the Eisenberg deal Friday. “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.”
As for Irons: “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman,” Snyder said. “It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”
Chris Terrio is currently writing the script from a screenplay by David S. Goyer.
Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns executive producing.
Fans may not be envisioning Eisenberg as the mastermind criminal, so fan reaction will be certainly interesting.
The still-untitled Batman/Superman mash-up will be a sequel to last summer’s Man of Steel, with Henry Cavill returning as Superman, and Ben Affleck rebooting The Dark Knight franchise as Batman.
The film was originally set for July 2015, but was recently pushed back to May 6, 2016
