Jesse Eisenberg Promises Lex Luthor Is "Very Serious"

[Fanghawk]

Jesse Eisenberg Promises Lex Luthor Is "Very Serious"

Don't worry DC Comics fans - Jesse Eisenberg says Batman v Superman's Lex Luthor isn't a cartoon character.

Were you concerned that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was going to be a light-hearted superhero romp? <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141533-Batman-V-Superman-Dawn-of-Justice-Finall-Gets-A-Full-Trailer-From-Warner-Bros>Yeah, me neither. But that's not stopping its actors from telling us how serious this project is. For example, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/139899-Zack-Snyder-Has-Revealed-Jason-Momoas-Aquaman>Jason Momoa recently explained that <a href=https://www.blastr.com/2015-9-8/jason-momoa-says-aquaman-wont-be-butt-jokes-after-batman-v-superman>that no one will be making jokes about his Aquaman once the movie's finished. And now Jesse Eisenberg is going a step further, saying the entire movie is "very serious" and that his Lex Luthor won't be confused with some cartoon villain.

"It's just the most incredible character," Eisenberg said on The Today Show. "It was written by this guy Chris Terrio, this is his next movie after Argo, who is just this brilliant writer of characters. So this movie is not a cartoonish superhero movie, it's this very serious, well-acted, well-written, well-directed movie. It's really phenomenal."

Let's separate Eisenberg's comments from the fact that <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141533-Batman-V-Superman-Dawn-of-Justice-Finall-Gets-A-Full-Trailer-From-Warner-Bros>Luthor cartoonishly chants "the red capes are coming" in the trailer. Both Eisenberg and Momoa seem to be making a distinction between DC's superhero movies and Marvel Studios' films - where Avengers embraces a certain degree of light-hearted silliness, Batman v Superman will be realistic and serious. And that's fine! It still could be a fantastic movie, the question is whether audiences want seriousness <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escape-to-the-movies/7521-Man-of-Steel>after the last DC flick didn't fare as expected.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice reaches theaters on March 25, 2016. Seriously.

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Source: Games Radar

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[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Hasn't Lex Luthor always been portrayed as a serious character that takes no shit from people? I mean the DCAU version is a pretty serious guy.

 

[circularlogic88]

Maybe if they made a trailer that didn't show Lex Luther as a cartoon villain chanting "the red capes are coming," I would take that statement more seriously.

 

[Worgen]

I can't see name Jesse Eisenberg without thinking of THE rant, if you know the rant then you know what I'm talking about. If not, then watch THE rant.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

 

[thewatergamer]

Yeah...just because your "serious" doesn't mean you are going to be good...

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I dunno. Luthor looked pretty hilarious to me, in an awkward sort of way.

 

[zinho73]

So it is confirmed, nobody is having fun in this movie.

(This is here just to occupy space because if you are to the point you get reported).

 

[Something Amyss]

Hasn't Lex Luthor always been portrayed as a serious character that takes no shit from people? I mean the DCAU version is a pretty serious guy.

Not really. He's been pretty campy in the past. As has much of the DCU. But the AU version is what a lot of people know, and that's fine.

Maybe if they made a trailer that didn't show Lex Luther as a cartoon villain chanting "the red capes are coming," I would take that statement more seriously.

In fairness, it's not like he said something funny.

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

In fact, there was a persistent "no jokes" rumour.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Hasn't Lex Luthor always been portrayed as a serious character that takes no shit from people? I mean the DCAU version is a pretty serious guy.

Not really. He's been pretty campy in the past. As has much of the DCU. But the AU version is what a lot of people know, and that's fine.

Maybe if they made a trailer that didn't show Lex Luther as a cartoon villain chanting "the red capes are coming," I would take that statement more seriously.

In fairness, it's not like he said something funny.

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

In fact, there was a persistent "no jokes" rumour.

Your mostly thinking of the Mad Scientist version of Lex from the old 40s-70s era. I'm talking about thr megalomaniacal buisnessman of today. I read some of the best Modern Superman Comics, I watched the Animated Series.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

Good, let it be serious. I don't want DC to be all immature and non-sensicle and "humorous" like Marvel's as of late.

 

[Something Amyss]

Your mostly thinking of the Mad Scientist version of Lex from the old 40s-70s era. I'm talking about thr megalomaniacal buisnessman of today. I read some of the best Modern Superman Comics, I watched the Animated Series.

Luthor's received numerous makeovers in his time, up to and including the movies. the Gene Hackman/Kevin Spacey version from the movies was often done up as a sort of farcical, over-the-top individual. Same is true for a couple of the TV versions (Lois & Clark comes to mind, where he bordered on Jekyll and Hyde in his performance both as serious threat and comic relief) But since you said "always," I did assume you meant "always," yes. That would include the "mad scientist" version.

 

[Something Amyss]

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

Good, let it be serious. I don't want DC to be all immature and non-sensicle and "humorous" like Marvel's as of late.

You act as if the only two choices are grimdark and "Marvel."

He's not complaining about it being serious, but "too serious." Crawling in my skin serious. 2edgy4u serious. That's not particularly any better than all juvenile humour.

 

[Covarr]

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

I can appreciate Lex Luthor as a serious character. He was predominantly serious in DCAU, and I thought that was a wonderful representation. But he can't just be serious, or he'll come across as one-dimensional. He needs to be fully-developed. Further, he can only work if the entire movie isn't every bit as serious as him. Good writing is about balance and counterpoints; just as comedy needs a straight man, an Abbot for Costello to play off of, a serious villain needs lighter characters around him to draw out how serious he is. A 9/10 means a lot more on a 1-10 scale than on a 9-10 scale, y'know?

This is a large part of why Batman and The Joker make such a good duo (particularly in DCAU). The Joker's entire existence is as a goofy counterbalance against the over-serious Batman. Each one helps bring out the extremes in the other, making for an overall dynamic tone and using the dichotomy between the two for variety so that an episode or movie doesn't become exhausting or boring to watch. The lack of dynamism was, in my opinion, Man of Steel's biggest failing, and I would really hate for Batman v Superman to make the exact same mistake for fear of being too lighthearted.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

From what I've heard, one of the big issues with the new DC Cinematic Universe is the fact that it is too serious. With that in mind, I am not comforted by this.

Good, let it be serious. I don't want DC to be all immature and non-sensicle and "humorous" like Marvel's as of late.

You act as if the only two choices are grimdark and "Marvel."

He's not complaining about it being serious, but "too serious." Crawling in my skin serious. 2edgy4u serious. That's not particularly any better than all juvenile humour.

I'm just one of those people that defends Man of Steel as a movie. And besides Superman has been in WORSE things than Man of Steel (other than just movies), whatever problems the movie had pales in comparison to things like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WpE1MScgT8

 

[ShakerSilver]

And now Jesse Eisenberg is going a step further, saying the entire movie is "very serious" and that his Lex Luthor won't be confused with some cartoon villain.

Funny, because I have to say it's the cartoon version of Lex that I often take the most seriously. Hell, I take most animated DC work more than the live action films and their comically dark and grim adaptations. I find it funny that the people making this film seem to forget that they're making COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS. It's like they're ashamed of their source material.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

My issue with what I saw of Eisenberg in the trailer was not that he came across as campy or too serious (though the 'red capes are coming' was pretty cringe-worthy), it was that he came across as really socially awkward. I'm no expert on DC, but isn't Lex Luthor, in addition to being a brilliant scientist, also a masterful businessman and negotiator who exudes charisma?

 

[Godhead]

Of course Lex Luthor is very serious. He's a very serious guy, with very serious ambitions.

 

[Synigma]

Let's separate Eisenberg's comments from the fact that <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141533-Batman-V-Superman-Dawn-of-Justice-Finall-Gets-A-Full-Trailer-From-Warner-Bros>Luthor cartoonishly chants "the red capes are coming" in the trailer. Both Eisenberg and Momoa seem to be making a distinction between DC's superhero movies and Marvel Studios' films - where Avengers embraces a certain degree of light-hearted silliness, Batman v Superman will be realistic and serious. And that's fine! It still could be a fantastic movie, the question is whether audiences want seriousness <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escape-to-the-movies/7521-Man-of-Steel>after the last DC flick didn't fare as expected.

I'm kinda bothered by the perceived dichotomy between light-hearted silliness and realistic and serious. Primarily because serious movies are NOT any more 'realistic' than light-hearted ones.

In fact I think it's the other way around. I mean come on; 9 out of 10 of us that received super powers would be having MORE fun not less. How many of us would totally party like Stark? Or pledge ourselves to our country/beliefs and play out a hero fantasy like Cap? Or live a life of fighting/partying like Thor (before being reamed out by his dad)?

Compared to 'My parents are dead so I cry myself to sleep on my pile of money and impossibly awesome technology'man or 'Infinitely cosmic power, but I have even MORE dead parents'man. DC creates these over the top unstoppable characters so they have to manufacture reasons why it sucks to be them... why they can't possibly ENJOY being as awesome as they are. Not even a little. BECAUSE OTHERWISE PEOPLE DIE!

*sigh* I want DC to succeed, the more good movies the better, but it's really hard to empathize with them when they don't act like human beings. (irregardless if they are or not!)

 

[Banjo-Kazooie Blue]

This just goes to show how Clueless Zack Snyder and company are. They think they this makes the movie sound better to fans.