Mike86

Yeah I'm with mostly everyone else here, I don't get the Eisenburg casting at all. He's a good actor and I generally like him but just seems really random and an odd choice for Lex Luthor. Looks wise I just don't really see it, unless they plan on making him be like the Hackman version of Luthor who wears a wig and we don't see him how he traditionally looks most of the film. Even so he seems way too young for the part if you ask me, I'd picture the ideal Lex at least in his mid thirties. Jeremy Irons is an okay choice for Alfred I suppose. He looks the part but I'm kind of indifferent to him overall. It's really starting to feel like the producers of this film are just throwing stuff against the wall and hoping it sticks.

PhantomStranger

The choice for Lex is bewildering, but Eisenberg likely comes much cheaper than some of the other names that were being thrown around. Even a blockbuster like this has a finite budget and the cast is getting more and more expensive with each name added.

Paul_SD

Personally I'm not entirely comfortable with Irons cast as Alfred either because while yes he is English (check), older (check), a noteworthy actor with a long career (check) and seems like he's at place around money and privilege, he's patrician in a cold way.
Caine, despite having a more working class background/vibe, was a warmer presence- You bought the sense of closeness and familial bonding there between him and Wayne.
I can easily picture Irons snidely, sarcastically commenting while he performs some function, but when we get the moment (if we get the moment) where we see "see- he's an asshole but he really cares about Bruce like a father", I'm less likely to buy it-especially with Synder directing the scene. This sounds like it will be more in line with the Animated series dynamic, though I still don't trust Synder to get it as pitch perfect as that entity did.
That's just my initial gut feeling.

As for Eisenberg, Renn made a comment on CHUD that I find interesting to consider
That change to the character I think could be interesting- however-the casting of Eisenberg then becomes a "safe" choice- as one note as simply casting whatever Bald actor has played a villain recently.
Whatever else Luthor is, he should be charismatic. He should display an Alpha personality despite not being the physically strongest person in the room. "Utopian tech genius turned billionaire" is a valid, new & interesting take- but in the context of Luthor we're talking more Steve Jobs than Zuckerberg or Bill Gates. So it still doesn't really work.

Giantrobo

I picture Irons as more of a pain in the ass Alfred. Always on Bruce's case like Cain's Alfred, but with less tears...

Mike86

I actually agree with this and not sure how I feel about that type of an Alfred. The modern Alfred has been made to have more of a tough guy MI-6 background with a harder shell than what we're traditionally used to. He always sort of had that background but he was more or less a normal guy who served as the Wayne family butler and an endearing figure in Bruce's life. I think that Alfred works the best but then again I guess all the previous actors who have played Alfred have always been older gentleman who were a strong supporting figure to Bruce but not necessarily tough guys.

The re-imagining of Lex as a tech geek turned billionaire I could see and it makes sense for the modern age, but I still don't think Eisenburg is the right fit for the part. I just don't think he has the right look at all and I really think it should have been someone older.

Giantrobo

But see, to me.... Lex has never really actually been an Industrial Capitalist in the films!!! That's what has always been the problem in my book. He was always a skulking Mastermind with a huge Ego scamming old ladies and living in sewers.

Give me in your face Industrial Capitalist Lex in his Ivory Office ANY DAY! I thought we would eventually get that when i saw the "LexCorp" tanker truck in MoS.

Paul_SD

yeah, that aspect did start to tax after a while...especially to the heights it reaches in TDKR.

I can't imagine Iron's part being all that huge (bigger than Wonder Woman's? or Perry White? or Lois?) so it probably won't make a big difference either way.

Paul_SD

A Steve Jobs-like tech genius is someone I could envision overseeing a vast empire or products and services. A Zuckerberg-like tech genius I can't. That's why, for as well and creatively intentioned this casting might be, it still looks like a big fail.

Mike86

Caine's Alfred wasn't that overly emotional throughout the trilogy, he was more or less the voice of reason and the concerned figure in Bruce's life. He was mainly in The Dark Knight Rises but it made sense in that seeing as how you knew he genuinely cared for Bruce and was basically a father figure to him and he didn't want to see him get killed or seriously injured in his pursuit of being Batman. People like to give that shit but I didn't see why it was such a problem.

Shannon Nutt

Right - Eisenberg will bring the 'genius' of Luthor, but he can't bring the 'gravitas' of Luthor.

stingermck

Even if you buy Eisenberg as a tech genius, or whatever you still have to buy him as legitimate threat to Superman and humanity. Wearing a battle suit, or just commanding a room.

sauce07

I hear Michael Cera has been cast as Robin and Justin Bieber is Jimmy Olsen

majorjoe23

I can't imagine Phoenix or Cranston would have been pricier than Eisenberg. Especially Cranston, who while awesome as Walter White, is really more of a character actor.

devilshalo

I can see Eisenberg as Lex... from Earth-3.

stingermck

Groucho

I think Eisenberg will be an interesting choice. I imagine they'll be going for a "Evil Mark Zuckerberg" vibe.

Paul_SD

The problem is evil Mark Zuckerberg is just weasel-ly evil.
That's definitely a new way to go...but not one I'm looking forward to seeing.

Michael Corvin

Here's a good one of Eisenberg:

banthafett

WB is going to load Eisenberg with drugs and have him od then the fans will go nuts and say he's the greatest Joker ever.

TGM

DC could fuck up a wet dream.

The Valeyard

Love the Thread title change.

whotony

I dont get it.

Shannon Nutt

If Luthor is going to be a billionaire tech geek instead of an billionaire industrialist, what were in those LexCorp tankers in MAN OF STEEL?

DaveyJoe

An easter egg thrown in for fans before they figured out the story for the second movie.

Shannon Nutt

I keep hoping this is a red herring and Jesse is just playing a younger Luthor in flashbacks (ala Kevin Costner in the first movie).