Ben Affleck’s appearance in the Batman universe may rub fans the wrong way but casting one Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was, for director Zack Snyder, a master stroke. As new trailers of the film go up, what’s clear is that like all Batman films in recent memory, this one will also set up a villain that will be remembered for years to come.
No one agrees more than Ben Affleck himself who said about Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor performance in a recent interview: “Between the character that was written by Chris Terrio and Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal, it’s the meeting of two great minds, on the same wavelength. Luthor is, for me, the most interesting character in the film. He’s radically different from what we’ve seen so far. He’s grounded in reality, and he’s extraordinary. This type of film is only as good as its villain. That’s why The Dark Knight was so brilliant, because of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Jesse improves the film with each scene he’s in. He’s not your usual one-dimensional villain, there’s a whole psychology behind him.”
The actor who earned an Academy Award nomination for his stunning performance in the Social Network, is looking like the scene stealer in the film. The buzz suggests that he will surpass the two protagonists of the film through his multi-dimensional performance.
In a piece for Cinema Bland, Mike Reyes observes: “While I’m cautiously optimistic on Ben Affleck’s Batman, and Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel was good enough that I’m curious to see what’s next, it’s Jessie Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor that’s the draw for me to see Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice.”