Jesse-Eisenberg-and-Jeremy-Irons-join-Batman-vs.-SupermanIn perhaps the most interesting piece of casting news in recent memory, Warner Bros. have announced that Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as the infamous Lex Luthor in the upcoming untitled Man of Steel sequel, tentatively referred to as Batman vs. Superman.

And not only that, but the great Jeremy Irons has landed the role of Alfred, played so wonderfully by Michael Caine in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Michael Shannon made an absolutely terrifying villain for Man of Steel as General Zod, and casting Eisenberg as Luthor here is a totally unexpected move. Eisenberg is known for playing characters teetering on the edge of being an antagonist, like Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, but never quite as ruthless as Lex Luthor, and I can’t wait to see what he does with the character.

We had heard late last month that Joaquin Phoenix was being eyed for a villain role in the movie, with the expectation that it would be for the role of Lex Luthor, and whether or not he’s still being eyed of course remains to be seen.

In the upcoming sequel, Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck are set to face off as Superman and Batman, with Gal Gadot recently joining the cast as Wonder Woman. And you can add two more names to the list today with Eisenberg and Irons entering the field.

Zack Snyder will be directing from a script penned by the Oscar-winning Chris Terrio (Argo), based on a previous screenplay by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy).

The as-yet-untitled Batman vs. Superman will hit cinemas on May 6th, 2016. And you’d better believe that Snyder has more surprises in store for us yet. This is going to be epic.

 

BURBANK, CA, January 31, 2014 – Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Jesse Eisenberg has been set to star as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons will play Alfred in the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The dual announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

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.”

Snyder’s film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince. The film also reunites “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.

The new film is currently being written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

The film is set to open worldwide on May 6, 2016, and is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.