Last week’s news that Jesse Eisenberg has landed the role of baddie Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder’s upcoming BATMAN VS SUPERMAN production caused controversy among fans, especially those rooting for more traditional (i.e. boring) choices like Bryan Cranston. But you may be interested to hear that Warner Bros was also considering Adam Driver and Joaquin Phoenix for the role.
Driver’s name will be familiar to those who’ve been keeping track of the film’s casting news, as he was originally rumoured to play the character of Nightwing. In fact, Driver was apparently approached for the role of Luthor but had to pass due to scheduling conflicts. Meanwhile, veteran actor Joaquin Phoenix (THE MASTER, HER) passed on the role.
Eisenberg is considerably younger than the previous incarnations of Lex on screen. SUPERMAN RETURNS’ Kevin Spacey was 46 at the time, while SUPERMAN’s Gene Hackman was 48. But the new, younger Lex will tie in with recent graphic novel incarnations, in which he is a childhood friend of Clark Kent – the 30-year-old Eisenberg matches MAN OF STEEL’s Henry Cavill perfectly.
Multiple sources have said that fan favourite Cranston was never approached for the role at all, which makes sense if Snyder was going for a younger Lex. Cranston is 27 years Cavill’s senior, and therefore too old for Snyder’s vision. Driver makes sense as he’s also 30, while Phoenix is only 37.
Sources say Snyder is targeting actors rather than having numerous auditions. Stay tuned to THN for more casting news as we get it. BATMAN VS SUPERMAN is set for release in May 2016.
Source: THR
