Unpopular opinion: Jessie Eisenberg was going the right direction with his Lex Luthor performance in Batman v Superman.
Think about how you’d respond if you were directing a tentpole film based on a Disney ride, and your lead actor said, “I’m gonna do a flamboyant Keith Richards impersonation for my role.”
Before the release of Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney executives thought Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character would bomb. They wanted him out of the movie. He ended up becoming the center of the franchise.
Eisenberg’s autistic neuroatypical Silicon Valley Lex Luthor could have become as iconic with a few adjustments – the kind he likely did not get during chaos of making of Batman v Superman.
A different director might have guided Eisenberg’s performance more, till his verbal ticks became part of the who he was, rather then an affectation. What we saw felt like mid-process version of the character – one that needed one or two more drafts – but then again, so did most of the movie.
(Personally, I found the performance really interesting – much moreso then any previous version I’ve seen of the character – though I acknowledge it needed more work.)
Like most of the choices in Batman v Superman, there was a “safe” way to play the character, and instead, Eisenberg made a bold choice that didn’t quite work. As an filmmaker, I can see what adjustments I might make, but I admire the film and the actor for making a bold choice (as I said in my earlier commentary).
The negative reviews have been very gleeful in their attempts to tear this film down (If you’re interested on more on that, check out this video here). Those same reviewers then turn around and ask why Hollywood always seems to do the same boring thing again and again. They don’t realize – not every bold swing will connect. You don’t get the Jack Sparrows without a few Lex Luthors.
Read More: The Bold Swing of Batman v Superman
