Was Eisenberg's Lex more of a miscast or misinterpretation?

[Noodle]

Jesse did a fantastic job performing the Lex they wanted him to perform. The Lex they wanted him to perform, though, was hot garbage.

[Alan2099]

His version of Luthor annoyed me so much that I wanted to scream at the screen for him to shut up every time he opened his mouth. There were a few points where I just had to look away in disgust because he was just that horrible.

I don't care how he was written, what the intentions where, or how good an actor he is, the character failed on ever possible level.

[Jim Kelly]

I wish we could have seen his father. He sounded like a true super-villain. Originally in the comics, red Luthor was the power behind the throne, orchestrating the war behind the scenes (a kind of Rasputin figure). I imagine that Eisenberg's father was like that--some Eastern European oligarch who was a master of evil.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Eisenberg leaned into a more comedic/zany angle and his take is more built of the tech entrepreneur trend. He wouldn't feel out of place against Zuckerberg or Elon Musk.

Snyder's take on the DCU reminded me of Smallville so maybe he was intended to be a Year One style version? I think Eisenberg would've been a better take for Toyman, the Prankster, or Mr.Mxypltyx. If you wanna do a deep cut, he could've been Lenny Luthor from the Donner films.

One criticism I've heard is they should've cut Batman for Metallo and that would've worked better as Batman makes Lex a little redundant and I could see the value in that.

[Slowpokeking]

His version of Luthor annoyed me so much that I wanted to scream at the screen for him to shut up every time he opened his mouth. There were a few points where I just had to look away in disgust because he was just that horrible.

I don't care how he was written, what the intentions where, or how good an actor he is, the character failed on ever possible level.

Yeah. Luthor is supposed to be calm and intelligent.

[kcekada]

It was both a miscast and a misinterpretation. Pure disaster!

[Zero Hunter]

This!
Eisenberg was perfectly capable of playing a convincing Lex Luthor. He just wasn't directed to do so. Somebody, maybe the director, maybe some executive speaking into the director's ear, insisted he play Luthor as Joker because Joker makes money. It screams of clueless executive meddling.

I don't think he was. To me Lex is an "Alpha Male" who not only thinks he is smarter and better than everyone else he actually is. I just can't take a Lex who can get his ass kicked by a 9th grader seriously. Lex is a serious man who should not be making wisecracks. Lex should look imposing and be the type of person that all eyes turn to see when he walks in the room.

[Slowpokeking]

I don't think he was. To me Lex is an "Alpha Male" who not only thinks he is smarter and better than everyone else he actually is. I just can't take a Lex who can get his ass kicked by a 9th grader seriously. Lex is a serious man who should not be making wisecracks. Lex should look imposing and be the type of person that all eyes turn to see when he walks in the room.

Kevin Spacey looks like Luthor to me, too bad SR's script wasn't so good.

[Scott Taylor]

It was both a miscast and a misinterpretation. Pure disaster!

This may be true, but the movie meant to do that. No one, and I mean no one, took Luthor seriously in the movie. Except for Batman, who ultimately saved the day. Because Lex was so underestimated he was able to blow up a courtroom filled with his opposition, while calling his shot to the chief investigator in said courtroom, without anything pointing back to him. He also found and refined kryptonite, and would have likely effectively used it against Superman if not for Batman who wised up and stole it.

But I can see why it might not be everyone's cup of grandma's sweet tea. To me, the previous Luthors we have seen on screen all left a bit to be desired as well.

[Zero Hunter]

This may be true, but the movie meant to do that. No one, and I mean no one, took Luthor seriously in the movie. Except for Batman, who ultimately saved the day. Because Lex was so underestimated he was able to blow up a courtroom filled with his opposition, while calling his shot to the chief investigator in said courtroom, without anything pointing back to him. He also found and refined kryptonite, and would have likely effectively used it against Superman if not for Batman who wised up and stole it.

But I can see why it might not be everyone's cup of grandma's sweet tea. To me, the previous Luthors we have seen on screen all left a bit to be desired as well.

Honestly the best non comic version of Luthor I have ever seen is probably the Young Justice version. The calm menacing always one step ahead of everyone Lex.

[ChrisIII]

Kind of wonder if they might go in a "My Adventures with Superman" direction perhaps setting up Luthor in a minor role as a bigger bad for the second film, but then again we kind of already had that with Man of Steel (Which I think teased Luthor and Batman but did not show them).

[AnakinFlair]

Sorry if this has already been said, but I think Eisenberg nailed Lex- in his one scene in Justice League. THAT was the Lex we all knew and loved.

I understand what they were doing with Lex in Batman v Superman- to me, it became obvious that he was being manipulated from some outside alien force to act the way he was acting. How that happened, we never found out. And he never really felt like Lex Luthor. So I don't know if Eisneberg was miscast, but it was definitely a misinterpretation of the character.

[Nate Grey]

I haven't seen Jesse Eisenberg in everything he's done, but from what I have seen plus watching him in interviews, I put him in the same camp as Goldblum and Walken and Cera (there's probably more but those three immediately come to mind) in that they're essentially playing themselves when they take a role, just with the "volume" adjusted. Eisenberg was playing Eisenberg turned up to 11 for BvS, and turned down to about 6 for the after credits scene in JL. And I get why: BvS Luthor was affected by the Motherbox, and with the Motherbox destroyed he got his mind back to be closer to the calm calculating Luthor we're more familiar with.

On the one hand that performance (in BvS) was bizarre in and of itself, on the other, well, I appreciated he wasn't doing a land grab, "Miss Teschmacheeeeeeer!" Gene Hackman impersonation. That interpretation needs to die, sorry. In JL, while it was still basically Evil Eisenberg there was still a layer of menace and threat there from not being so manic like in BvS, and that worked for me. I'd like to see more of THAT Luthor, but short of Snyder returning, we won't. Alas.

[Slowpokeking]

Sorry if this has already been said, but I think Eisenberg nailed Lex- in his one scene in Justice League. THAT was the Lex we all knew and loved.

I understand what they were doing with Lex in Batman v Superman- to me, it became obvious that he was being manipulated from some outside alien force to act the way he was acting. How that happened, we never found out. And he never really felt like Lex Luthor. So I don't know if Eisneberg was miscast, but it was definitely a misinterpretation of the character.

I think that one was not really good, it looks like he was acting and trying to collect himself, but Luthor should act with more nerve.

[OrangeRangerPete]

Eisenberg's Luthor was annoying as hell.

It felt like, to me, the script wanted a Lex Luthor who was a bit unhinged. Whether it was the mother-box, whether it was his horrid upbringing, some kind of chemical imbalance, whatever, but it felt like that's what they were going for, a Lex who was already out-there.

The problem is that Eisenberg's Luthor was bouncing-off-the-walls, drooling-into-the-carpet crazy. And the thing is, if he was that insane, and that unhinged, then someone would've noticed. Oh, sure, plenty of successful and wealthy types are nuts, but they can at least pretend to be sane. There has to be at least some sanity in there for them to achieve success and wealth. Eisenberg's Luthor was just, pardon the swearing, batshit. He might as well have had "supervillain" tattooed on his forehead.

And the fact a critical part of his evil plan was peeing in a jar? That was the point where I gave up.