2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a gritty adaptation by director Zack Snyder of DC's trinity resulted in divisive responses from the masses. One of those divisive issues began early on when actor Jesse Eisenberg was cast to play Lex Luthor in the DC Extended Universe.
Eisenberg did not match the classic description of Lex Luthor that fans expected. Instead, the new portrayal showed a younger version of the villain. Though he slowly transforms into the mastermind criminal by the end of Batman v Superman, sporting his iconic bald/shaved head, the new version was not embraced fully by the fandom.
The actor got to reprise the character in a cameo in the post-credits of Justice League and was expected to play a bigger role in the DCEU, hinting at a possible set-up of an ensemble for the villains (Legion of Doom). But those plans were unfortunately scrapped after the film disappointed critics and fans.
Fortunately, Eisenberg seems to have moved on from his days in the DCEU and was praised for his recent performance in Zombieland Double Tap. Talking to MovieWeb to promote the horror-comedy sequel, the 36-year-old actor was asked if he would ever play Luthor again. Surprisingly, Eisenberg did not seem to be bothered by the backlash and was willing to take another shot at it.
"Oh, 1000 percent. Which is not even... that's ten pies. Ten full pies. Yeah, of course. Yeah. I loved it so much. I mean I was the shyest kid in the world. To get to play a mean character with flamboyance like that is exhilarating. I probably won't do another. I don't know if they're making another one where I would be in it. But no, I loved it. It was great. I'm so happy I got to do it. Ever," he said.
Eisenberg's return to the horror-comedy franchise to do a Zombieland: Double Tap was well-received. Perhaps, if Warner Bros decided to use Snyder's version of Luthor, there could still be hope for the Eisenberg's return.
Zombieland: Double Tap is in theatres.
