Jesse Eisenberg's casting in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was the most controversial choice made by Warner Bros., and what we've seen of his flamboyant, theatrical performance is totally counter to the film's grim tone. But as it turns out, Lex Luthor is not who Eisenberg was initially sought to play, but a completely different character according to Zack Snyder's comments to the LA Times...
“Let's call it a secret, but nevertheless it was the exact opposite of Lex Luthor."
Exact opposite of Luthor? Who could that be? Probably Jimmy Olsen, a role which seems to have gone to Scoot McNairy. After Eisenberg turned down Snyder's offer, the director came back to him with the much "cooler" character of Lex Luthor. And as far as that goes, there's a reason why Eisenberg's performance seems so over-the-top, and it's to separate himself from others who have played the character...
"When you're doing a movie like this and playing a character that's already been played, the further away it is from those previous incarnations the better. Because chances are, especially with a guy like Gene Hackman or Kevin Spacey, you're not going to get favorably compared."
He's got a point there, nobody wants to go up against Hackman and Spacey in an acting battle. One thing that Eisenberg is really proud of, though, is the moment when we finally get to see Luthor as most fans knows him, bald as the day is long...
"When you see the movie, you'll see. It's the greatest scene that I've ever gotten to take part in — it accounts for the change in hair.”
More of Eisenberg's performance can be seen in the two newly-released TV spots which will be airing like crazy during the NFL playoffs. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens March 25th.
