Jesse Eisenberg Is Lex Luthor in 'Batman vs. Superman,' Jeremy Irons Cast as Alfred

Batman vs. Superman has its Lex Luthor, and he couldn't be any further from the Bryan Cranston archetypes we had been thinking of for the role. Jesse Eisenberg, best known for his performances in The Social Network and Now You See Me, will play the iconic DC villain in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel. Jeremy Irons has also been cast as the franchise's new Alfred the butler.

[Director Zack Snyder] stated, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose 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.” 

The director added, “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

Well, the casting of Eisenberg is pretty shocking. Like I said, people had been trying to figure out which older, possibly bald actor would play Lex Luthor, with names like Cranston and Mark Strong being tossed around. There were also reports that Warner Bros. had been looking at Joaquin Phoenix for the role too. Eisenberg is much younger than the traditional version of Lex ... will he shave his head for the role?

Eisenberg and Irons joins Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane in the movie we're currently calling Batman vs. Superman.