Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice was a disaster of many epic proportions. Hitting the theaters back in March, the then blockbuster favorite suffered from a cliché-ridden, all-over-the-place, paper-thin story line which occasionally built up to scenes that struck puzzled movie-goers and critics alike as random (one recalls Bruce Wayne’s dream sequence). Yet despite many of the films rather inherent flaws, the one aspect that perhaps salvaged the utterly confused on-screen narrative of Zack Snyder’s latest project was the acting. Strong performances were delivered on the part of Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Jeremy Irons, however, many seemed less forgiving for Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of the movie’s primary antagonist, Lex Luthor.
Set to reprise the role in Justice League, which hits theaters in 2017, Warner Brothers’ choice to retain Eisenberg as the ruthless head of LexCorp has certainly become a source of anxiety for movie-buffs, and diehard fans of the much beloved DC franchise. And perhaps they have a good reason to be. Having received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network, there seemed to be much promise when it was announced the Eisenberg would be taking on the role of another character who’s main weapon once again originated from an erudite intellect.
Unfortunately, Eisenberg was unable to replicate an Oscar-worthy performance in the DC universe. Throughout Batman V. Superman, while there was a certain air of unpredictability that the native of Queens brought to Lex Luthor, the aloofness Eisenberg tried to introduce to Superman’s arch-nemesis made the character come as goofy, and at times, even pitiful – not something you want out of a villain. That said is it entirely fair to hold Eisenberg to fault for his apparent lack of performance?
If there are any apologies that need to be made for the overall disappointment that was Batman V. Superman, it's Zack Snyder and his production crew that should be apologizing to Eisenberg. A lack of character development was clearly lacking in Eisenberg’s work in the latest installment of the DC franchise, but in all fairness, the directors and writers really didn’t give their star much help. With production crew dedicating a majority of its efforts towards Cinematography, the amount of emphasis that was taken away from constructing an adequate story resulted in a fragmented script riddled with scenes that were condensed and underwritten. With unsustaining story arcs and beats, this not only denied viewers the proper time needed to emotionally connect with the movie but also prevented the actors, particularly Eisenberg, from properly flushing out their characters. With a lack of screen time and any meaningful dialogue, Eisenberg was just simply given too little to work with.
Since racking up a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the critical failure of Batman V. Superman has prompted Warner Brothers to enact several changes which have culminated into the firing of several members on the production team, even though Zack Snyder will remain as the director for Justice League. Nevertheless, Batman V. Superman notwithstanding, Snyder has had success with action films in the past, and if he wants Justice League to eclipse accomplishments that include 300 and Watchmen, he owes it to make sure that Eisenberg—who will once again play a key role—is given the time and space to exercise the wealth of talent the actor has to bring to a star-studded cast.
