Almost a decade afterBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jesse Eisenberg is opening up about his time playing Superman’s archenemy. The actor debutedhis unique take on the businessmanand scientific mastermind in the aforementioned film and reprised his role for both the theatrical release ofJustice LeagueandZach Snyder’s Justice League.
In a recent appearance onArmchair Expert with Dax Shepherd(viaIndieWire), Eisenberg discussed the reception of his Lex Luthor and the film overall:“I was in this ‘Batman’ movie and the ‘Batman’ movie was so poorly received, and I was so poorly received — I’ve never said this before and it’s kind of embarrassing to admit — but I genuinely think it actually hurt my careerin a real way because I was poorly received in something so public.” He continued by explaining how being in a widely distributed film that was perceived badly affected him personally.
Though the actor had “been in poorly received things that just don’t see the light of day,“Batman v Superman’sbroader release meant that its impact was harder to escape.Eisenberg explained: “For the most part no one knows, but this was so public, and I don’t read notices or reviews or movie press or anything, so I was unaware of how poorly it was received.” The actor clarified that “if [an actor is] in a huge, huge movie and not seen as good, the people who are choosing who to put next in their movie are just not going to select"them.
Was Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor really all that bad?
While it was certainly a controversial portrayal, I didn’t think Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor was all that bad. The same intelligence and cold ambition to end Superman was still present, just packaged in a more modernized depiction. That said, I can understand why some fans were turned off by Eisenberg’s more eccentric performance.
Despite the film’s reception,Eisenberg enjoyed working on it and has no ill will toward Zack Snyder or any of the creatives behindBatman v. Superman.The actor “loved [his] role"and “loved the movie.” As a result, he blames himself for his Lex not collecting with fans. He stated: “I’m not like ‘they did me wrong,’ no, I’m like, ‘Oh I guess I did something wrong there,’ and so it did feel like I had to climb out again.”
What Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Comments Mean
Eisenberg’s comments regarding Lex provided an unfiltered look at how the industry operates. Regardless of the other creatives who work on crafting a character, audiences often place any emotion, negative or positive, onto the performer. As a result,Eisenberg’s atypical Lex portrayal earned him some negativity from fanswho didn’t click with his performance, and studios didn’t view him as a box office draw anymore.
Our Take On Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Comments
While his Lex was far from comic-accurate, Eisenberg brought a uniquely manic energy to the role, which seemed to be what director Zack Snyder intended. It is unfair that the actor had to grapple with audiences that struggled to accept the differences between his performance and how the character is usually portrayed.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justicefeatured a lot of big swings in terms of characterization, so Eisenberg’s performance—love it or hate it—hit the notes as the film intended, and he clearly put care into it.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Cast
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features the iconic clash between Gotham’s Dark Knight, played by Ben Affleck, and Metropolis’s Man of Steel, portrayed by Henry Cavill. As these two heroes confront each other, a looming threat endangers humanity, setting the stage for larger challenges ahead in the DC Extended Universe.
