Hear Me Out: Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor was great casting, he was just in the wrong film
“As you may or may not know, I am as they say, very heavy into real estate. In order to make money in that game you have to buy for a little and sell for a lot,” Gene Hackman’s version of Clark Kent’s arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor, uttered in 1978s Superman. For such a supposedly compelling villain, Luthor’s preoccupation with real estate always came across as pretty stale, thank god Jesse Eisenberg came in to switch up the tone.
Without a care in the world regarding real estate or land ownership, Eisenberg’s Luthor was introduced to the DC superhero universe in the long-awaited team-up movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. A young scientist and budding criminal mastermind, Luthor manages to manipulate Batman into a battle with Superman, the man of steel whom the villain is intent on destroying.
It’s a decent, devious plan from a snivelling little teenager who thinks he’s god’s gift, imposing his perceived self-worth on anyone unfortunate enough to come into contact with him. Indeed, as many have long asserted, Eisenberg’s performance mirrors the characteristics of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, a powerful, influential figure many look up to as the figure of the modern American Dream.
David Fincher’s biopic about the social media CEO, The Social Network, could even be seen as a prequel to Eisenberg’s character in the superhero movie, with the actor carrying over many of the same arrogant, quippy mannerisms. Representing the human ego at its best and most ugly, Luthor carries a deep resentment towards Superman because the hero represents everything that the villain can never be; a selfless, all-powerful figure of worship.
Perfectly pulling off this character, embodying each and every annoying characteristic of a young, bratty fantasy CEO, Eisenberg’s Luthor is a well-constructed villain who targets the weakness of his adversaries with precise malice.
The problem is that Eisenberg’s villain is plopped into a film that doesn’t match his performance style, with director Zack Snyder unsure of how to handle Luthor among his arsenal of flashy heroes, including Superman, Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. Luthor doesn’t belong in this lineup of crazy characters, with this becoming clear upon the bombastic final fight sequence that introduces the mammoth CGI troll, Doomsday.
For this reason, Eisenberg’s performance was criticised at the time, with fans quick to judge the alternative take on the character, often played with a sinister straight edge by an elderly bald-headed gentleman. Instead, this take on Luthor was more like Batman’s Joker, being an evil, near-sociopathic crime lord who goes after his adversaries from an arm’s length, unable to match them toe-to-toe.
Place Eisenberg’s villain in a separate setting, where his character is allowed to thrive, breathe and grow, and Snyder could have created something quite special. The problem is his story, and his motivations are smeared by the blinding spectacle of Wonder Woman’s glimmering bracelets, high-flying empty action set pieces and the promise of Batman v Superman, which ended up being as exciting as an unsalted pretzel.
