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Yay or Nay? Jesse Eisenberg cast as Lex Luthor, netizens weigh in

Rappler.com

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Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? Both positive and negative sentiments from netizens

LEX LUTHOR. Jesse Eisenberg is set to play the billionaire villain

MANILA, Philippines – Best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in The Social Network (2010), Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as iconic villain Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman/Superman movie, Warner Bros announced. Acclaimed actor Jeremy Irons has also been cast in the role of Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s beloved friend and butler.

According to director Zack Snyder, the great thing about Lex Luthor is that he is a “complicated and sophisticated” character who “exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain.” He also said that he considers casting Eisenberg as a step in some new and unexpected directions for the character.

“[Luthor’s] 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.”

Eisenberg, known for his trademark clipped speech and wary expression contrasted against boyish features, joins Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman in the upcoming film. 

Actress Gal Gadot has also been cast as Wonder Woman.

Back when Ben Affleck was cast as Batman in August, most users took to social media to express their disappointment with the casting news. This even led to a petition on Change.org, calling on Warner Bros. to find another actor to play the role. As of writing, the petition has gathered over 97,000 supporters.

But Affleck didn’t seem to mind the backlash. In an interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Affleck said he was a “big boy” and that he could handle the negative comments.

The social media response has been less harsh for Eisenberg. While a fair number of netizens were also unhappy with his casting, there were those who expressed excitement at seeing him play the billionaire villain.

A resounding question, however, has left netizens bothered – will Jesse go bald, as Kevin Spacey and Michael Rosenbaum did? Can he pull off the bald look? Some creative Twitter users have the answer.

 








However, some netizens were underwhelmed. There are those who think Breaking Bad ‘s Bryan Cranston would be a better fit.

 









The Superman/Batman, which is said to be tentatively called Batman vs. Superman, is set for release in 2016. – Rappler.com

Jesse Eisenberg photo from Shutterstock

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