‘Batman vs. Superman’: Jesse Eisenberg is Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons is Alfred

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

It seems that every major casting announcement made so far where it concerns the Man of Steel sequel – a.k.a. Batman vs. Superman, Man of Steel 2, and/or Zack Snyder’s Untitled Superman/Batman movie – has come out of left field, be it Ben Affleck as Batman or Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious 6) as Wonder Woman. The same holds true for some of the casting rumors, with lauded thespians like Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington being name-dropped as possibilities (either realistic or far-fetched) to play Lex Luthor in the film.

Well, at last, we can offer an official casting announcement, after two months (we know, it felt longer than that) of increasingly wild Batman vs. Superman rumors, since Gadot was confirmed… and like those before it, we suspect a lot of people will be left pulling their jaws off the ground after these ones.


Warner Bros. has issued a press release that confirms not only Oscar-nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) as Lex Luthor, but also Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons (Beautiful Creatures) as Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred. Here is the official statement from Snyder, on the casting choices:

Snyder stated, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. 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.”

The director added, “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. 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.”

Sauce: http://screenrant.com/batman-vs-superman-jesse-eisenberg-lex-luthor-jeremy-irons-alfred/

________________________

Updates to follow.

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

This movie just keeps getting more and more interesting.

[Jev Moldara]

I can see Jesse Eisenberg playing the cold, calculating aspect of Lex Luthor. After watching Now You See Me, I can see that.

That said, he'll need to slow down his speaking style to a more Clancy Brown-esque cadence. Lex Luthor needs to sound like he's already got all the bases covered. The speedy cadence Eisenberg has in the vast majority of his roles will go counter to this.

[RLYHYPERGUY]

I'm really looking forward to what they'll do. I love surprise casting!

[TheHobbitofDune]

God dammit, I was just about to post this.

Anyway, I can definitely see it. Shave Eisenberg's head and it'll be perfect. Irons? Never heard of him before (though apparently he was in Lion King... nope, don't remember, too young), but I'm sure he'll pull it off well.

Remember, Watchmen. That's an example I like to bring up a lot. The casting in that movie was brilliant. And MoS had great casting as well. I trust in Snyder's decisions.

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

God dammit, I was just about to post this.

Anyway, I can definitely see it. Shave Eisenberg's head and it'll be perfect. Irons? Never heard of him before (though apparently he was in Lion King... nope, don't remember, too young), but I'm sure he'll pull it off well.

Remember, Watchmen. That's an example I like to bring up a lot. The casting in that movie was brilliant. And MoS had great casting as well. I trust in Snyder's decisions.

Irons was the voice of Scar in The Lion King.

He was also the bad guy in a guilty pleasure of mine 2000's Dungeons & Dragons.

[TheHobbitofDune]

Irons was the voice of Scar in The Lion King.

He was also the bad guy in a guilty pleasure of mine 2000's Dungeons & Dragons.

Good to know

[RLYHYPERGUY]

Good to know

He was also Brom in Eragon and had a part in The Mission, which is a must-see in my family that I haven't seen lol.

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

It's nice to see that these casting announcements have been generally well received.

Just these two actors alone makes my mind whirl in speculation about the direction this film is going.

[RLYHYPERGUY]

It's nice to see that these casting announcements have been generally well received.

Just these two actors alone makes my mind whirl in speculation about the direction this film is going.

Haha at the sites I primarily go to the reception is opposite!

I'm really looking forward to what they'll do. Whether it's good or bad, it'll still be downright interesting.

[Jev Moldara]

I try to give casting choices the benefit of the doubt (I don't always succeed, but I try).

I seem to recall some serious negative reactions when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman and when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker.

We saw how well those worked out.

[Jev Moldara]

Good to know

He was also Brom in Eragon and had a part in The Mission, which is a must-see in my family that I haven't seen lol.

He also played Aramis in The Man in the Iron Mask (alongside John Malkovich as Athos, Gerard Depardieu as Porthos, and Gabriel Byrne as D'Artagnan) and Simon Gruber in Die Hard: With a Vengeance.

[TheHobbitofDune]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIntDen7fv0" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIntDen7fv0</a>

[Kham-Ryn Kurios]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIntDen7fv0#ws

I really liked that to be completely honest.