Jesse Eisenberg Opens Up About His Time as Lex Luthor in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Almost a decade after Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jesse Eisenberg is speaking out about his experience playing Superman’s archenemy, Lex Luthor. In a recent appearance on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepherd, Eisenberg discussed the reception of his Lex Luthor and the film overall.
Eisenberg revealed that he genuinely believes his performance in the film hurt his career in a real way, as the film was poorly received and he was poorly received as well. He explained that being in a widely distributed film that was perceived badly affected him personally, and that it’s hard to escape the impact of a poorly received film.
Despite the negative reception, Eisenberg enjoyed working on the film and has no ill will towards Zack Snyder or any of the creatives behind the film. He took full responsibility for his performance not clicking with fans, saying “I’m not like ‘they did me wrong,’ no, I’m like, ‘Oh I guess I did something wrong there,’ and so it did feel like I had to climb out again.”
Eisenberg’s comments provided an unfiltered look at how the industry operates, and how audiences often place any emotion, negative or positive, onto the performer. He brought a uniquely manic energy to the role, which seemed to be what director Zack Snyder intended. While his performance was far from comic-accurate, Eisenberg put care into his portrayal and it hit the notes as the film intended.
