There are two huge casting annoucements today for the upcoming Superman and Batman movie! The film makers have officially cast both Lex Luthor and Alfred! First up is Jesse Eisenberg (‘Zombieland’,’The Social Network’) as Lex Luthor and secondly is Jeremy Irons (‘Eragon’,’The Borgias’) as Batman’s butler, Alfred.
While Jesse has been headlining quite a few films as of late, Irons has been busy on television but with an extremely solid track record to his name. These are some of the first solid pieces of news that aren’t still rumor since Ben Affleck (‘Argo’,’Daredevil‘) was announced as the next Batman with Gal Gadot (‘Fast & Furious 6′,’Knight and Day’) as Wonder Woman.
With the film’s May 6th, 2016 release date, Warner Bros. still has time to finish rounding out the cast to join Henry Cavill’s (‘Man of Steel‘, ‘Stardust’) Superman. With rumors that the film could include Metallo, Nightwing and so many more, there are still plenty of shoes to fill on what could be the lead in to a Justice League movie.
Producer Deborah Snyder weighed in on the casting by saying:
“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.”
While we’ve seen Jesse play an introverted billionaire before, I don’t think I could say any of his roles have really shown the charisma that Lex Luthor requires to be the sociopath that he is and this is another piece of casting that seems like it’scompletely from left field.
On the other hand, we have a great fit of Irons as Alfred. As Snyder stated in the press release:
“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. t 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.”
With his acting chops and how he portrays himself on screen, I really believe Irons is a perfect fit for the role of being Batman’s mentor and father figure.
What do you folks think about the newest casting news? Who would you have rather seen take either of the two roles? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Deadline
