10 Reasons Jesse Eisenberg’s Controversial Lex Luthor Is Way Better Than You Remember

Jesse Eisenberg’s take on Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a heavily original approach that entertained its fair share of controversy in the DCEU, even though retrospectively, his performance might have received relatively harsh reactions in some regards. Growing out long locks of hair instead of following a more comic-accurate bald look, Eisenberg’s Luthor was full of vigor and envy, setting him up to be an ideal villain for Zack Snyder’s cinematic crossover. Functioning as a foe to both the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight, the Oscar nominee’s version of the evergreen DC character polarized critics and audiences.

Eisenberg himself seems to have made his peace with the role and its divisive reception. Despite a brief appearance in Justice League, his plans to appear in the timeline of the DCEU movies ended with James Gunn taking over the franchise’s creative control and rebooting into the DC Universe. With the new DCU accommodating projects like Superman: Legacy, Nicholas Hoult becomes the latest actor to step into Luthor’s shoes, with Eisenberg playfully giving the other actor the advice of “don’t watch me!” when asked by Variety about advice for the villain role. Despite the actor’s own reservations, it’s worth revisiting his career-defining act.

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10 Jesse Eisenberg’s Young Lex Luthor Was Very Original

Most of the other cinematic takes on Lex Luthor tend to show the businessman and scientist at a slightly older phase in life. Jesse Eisenberg’s younger take on the character was relatively more impulsive and immature, as is evident in his hasty decisions and overzealous energy. Here was a Luthor who was still in the formative stage of his villainy, allowing Eisenberg to recreate and reinterpret the character in his own ways. Zack Snyder’s movie might be heavily accurate to certain comics, but Eisenberg was still given enough free rein to stand out from every other live-action version of Luthor.

9 This Version Of Lex Luthor Is Far More Unpredictable

Introducing a franchise’s Lex Luthor in a Superman movie makes his modus operandi more predictable, with an obvious attempt at weakening the superhero with Kryptonite. But these stakes grow more intense given how Eisenberg’s DCEU debut doubled as a Batman movie too – so Luthor’s plans go beyond just immobilizing Superman. Masterminding a duel between the titular heroes, resurrecting Doomsday with Kryptonian technology, and even bombing the US Capitol building showcase the sheer unpredictability of his actions. Comparisons with an anarchist like the Joker are bound to be made, but unlike him, Eisenberg’s Luthor almost always had an endgame in sight.

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8 The Role Allows Eisenberg To Balance His Trademark Sarcasm With Serious Drama

Instead of sticking to the quintessential character tropes of Lex Luthor from the comics, Eisenberg made the role truly his own by blending his own dramatic range. Previous lead roles in comedies like Zombieland and Adventureland proved that he had impeccable comic timing, especially when it comes to sarcastic dialogue delivery and deadpan physical mannerisms. Hints of this sarcasm were evident on a more dramatic scale in his portrayal of Luthor. At the same time, Eisenberg captured the multiple moods of Luthor with occasional detours to more dramatic territory, a callback to his more serious performances in The Social Network and The Double.

7 Zack Snyder Reveals An Emotional Side Of Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor isn’t always plotting evil in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The way director Zack Snyder envisions the character is also rooted in humanizing him further. So, Eisenberg’s Luthor can also have his fair share of vulnerable moments, as is evident from the scenes where he recalls the strained relationship he shared with a wealthy but mostly absent father. His personality might be defined by his ruthlessness and ambition, but underneath it all also lies a deep-seated insecurity that can often be overshadowed in different iterations of the villain.

6 Eisenberg’s Portrayal Has Callbacks To The Best Elements Of Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor

Gene Hackman’s villainous turn in the Christopher Reeve-led Superman movies remains one of the best portrayals of Lex Luthor. While Hackman also gave his distinct spin to the character, Eisenberg seems to have borrowed a page from his book while playing DCEU’s Luthor. Much like Hackman’s performance, Eisenberg hides the antagonist’s ulterior motives with a witty charm and a magnetic personality. Hackman’s Luthor might be more chivalrous in his personality, but the Social Network star also has his own ways of capturing attention whenever he’s in the room. The awkward humor that he evokes is another fine callback to Hackman.

5 This Lex Luthor’s Hate For Superman Is Rooted In A God Complex

Though critics seeking comic book accuracy might find Eisenberg’s Luthor to be more unhinged, his ultimate goals go in tandem with the source material. Regardless of the storyline, what often drives Luthor’s plans against Superman is his own self-importance and god complex. With Luthor constantly referring to Superman as a god among men, Eisenberg’s characterization made Luthor all the more fixated on becoming a messiah figure himself. He’s convinced that his exceptional knowledge and lust for power can overtake a god, as “he cannot be all-powerful”, meaning that, in taking down a god, Luthor believes he will be able to become a god himself.

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4 Batman V Superman’s Lex Luthor Is A Businessman For The Modern Age

The 21st century’s uber-rich no longer includes just aging oligarchs. With relatively younger tech entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk dominating the global industry, a younger Lex Luthor as a business magnate makes perfect sense. Eisenberg already had a taste of being an ambitious tech millionaire, thanks to his turn as Zuckerberg in The Social Network. Dramatizing that performance on a broader canvas came effortlessly to Eisenberg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. A young, driven individual like his Luthor taking on the reins of Lexcorp offered thrilling possibilities for the DCEU’s world (for better or for worse).

3 Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Is A Master Manipulator

Never before has Lex Luthor been so manipulative as he is in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Instead of directly going against Superman, he pits him against Batman and compensates for his lack of strength by killing him through a resurrected Doomsday. The way Luthor wins former Wayne Enterprises employee Wallace Keefe to his side and then uses him as bait for a larger plot reveals his manipulative prowess. By gaining enough financial and political support, he also attempts to drive the general public discourse against superheroes (conveniently hiding the fact that his own actions result in collateral damage).

2 The Future Of Snyderverse Left A Lot Of Future Potential For Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor

The aftermath of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice revealed that Luthor was serving time at Belle Reeve prison, shaving off his hair much like his comic book counterpart. Luthor’s return in Justice League found him uniting with Deathstroke, leaving a lot more destructive potential as a supervillain if the Snyder movies still continued. As his DCEU debut only covered his younger years, future installments in the franchise could have explored an older and grittier side to Luthor, representing notable character evolution and more nuance, setting him apart from other, more unchanging versions of the villain.

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1 Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Was Convinced He’s A Hero

While many previous live-action Luthors were content with being sly, power-hungry villains, Eisenberg’s version in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was convinced that he could actually save the world from gods and superhumans alike. Even if his actions came at the cost of human lives (like the Capitol building), Eiseinberg’s Luthor strove for a “perfect” world devoid of any damage-causing, overpowered caped superheroes. Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor is convinced he’s saving humanity from devils whom he feels “come from the sky” (much like his Kryptonian adversary), and the exploration of this warped heroism made for some of the character’s most interesting dimensions.