Fan Fridays: Was Jesse Eisenberg the “Real” Lex Luthor?

Would the real Lex Luthor please stand up? Certainly when Jesse Eisenberg was originally cast as Superman’s most notorious foe, eyebrows were lifted by many. Whether you loved or hated his performance in Batman V Superman, it was certainly a far different interpretation than we had ever seen of the character, but was it too different? Was Eisenberg really the primary Luthor or is there another waiting in the wings to get revenge on the Man of Steel? Comicbook.com fan Yvette Malone filled us in on the possibility that Eisenberg’s Luthor may actually be a hint toward an even greater villain sharing his name. Let’s take a look at the facts.

To start, it’s clear that Eisenberg has a vastly different character than the Lex Luthor of the boardroom that we’ve seen in so many comics, tv shows, and movies. Harkening more toward a Mark Zuckerberg/Millennial businessman feel, this Lex takes a combination of the attitude of Luthor while adding a modern twist on the proceedings. However, is this more leaning toward the idea that this Luthor is the son of the original Lex that we’re all so familiar with? In a sense, it may be as he flat out says it during the film Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice! When chatting with the Senator from Kansas during the running time, Lex has her call him “Alexander Luthor” and goes into a story about his father who is never shown on screen. The fate of that Luthor is never delved into during the rest of the movie but you are also told that Alexander inherited the company from his father, which is interesting because Lex had always built his company from the ground floor up himself in most interpretations, pointing toward his being a different kind of Luthor.

What also points toward this new Luthor being the son of the original is the idea that in the formation of the film, the idea that a Lex who was played by Bryan Cranston would be the most interesting way to go according to director Zack Snyder. Yes, in recent interviews, Snyder stated that Eisenberg had originally tried out to be Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, but was later given the part of Lex following his audition. The idea for a more corporate, business tycoon Luthor in the vein of Bryan Cranston could be something that’s brought into the DC Cinematic Universe following Batman V Superman’s run. Clearly, with Eisenberg’s Lex having been driven mad during the finale, it would make sense for a calmer, collected Lex Sr. to bail his deranged son out of prison.

The DC Cinematic Universe will be growing more and more as time passes, with Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman being the next films hitting the scene. We’ll have to see if Eisenberg’s Lex, or any Lex Luthor for that matter, returns to beguile the heroes or spread the word of the Apokolips threat slowly looming toward Earth.

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