When it comes to Lex Luthor, Superman’s greatest nemesis has existed in fiction nearly as long as the Man of Steel himself. And as such, the character’s been recast numerous times over the decades, with a variety of talents playing him in both live action and animation.
Most recently – at least in the movies – it was Jesse Eisenberg’s chance to step up to the plate. In fact, the Zombieland star played the LexCorp CEO for two films, those being Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Granted, the latter was technically a cameo, but it still counts.
But when you factor in the ever-changing landscape of the DC Extended Universe, the odds of seeing Eisenberg’s Luthor on screen again are slim to nil. Believe it or not, he pretty much stated that his tenure as Lex is over while appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, saying:
“Do I have anything left on the table? No, never. No. But I loved it. I mean, I loved every moment of it. It was great. I would not have thought of myself for it. So, to me, it was all, like, house money I would call it.”
Though Eisenberg was far from being my favorite Lex Luthor, I believe he should indeed be proud of the work he put in. Actually, these comments arrive hot on the heels of news that he recently found out Justice League 2 isn’t happening, perhaps further cementing the studio moving on.
But if we’re to think critically, if Henry Cavill is no longer Superman following Justice League, then it would make little sense to keep his corresponding arch-villain. Likewise, nobody on Earth should expect to see Jared Leto’s Joker in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. I’m just being frank here.
