Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Premiere Date, Cast News: Jesse Eisenberg Bald for Lex Luthor Role (PHOTO)
Jesse Eisenberg debuted the first look at his bald character for his role as Lex Luthor in the upcoming "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
"The Social Network" star gave audiences their first glimpse of his totally bald Lex Luthor character on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as a teaser for his role in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which premieres in theaters on March 25, 2016.
Eisenberg appears both eerie and menacing in the black and white photo, an abrupt departure from the innocent, bumbling, and nice-guy roles he has portrayed in films thus far.
"He's not any of the Lexes that you've seen, that's for sure," director Zack Snyder told the magazine. "Other than him being a captain of industry and one person to the world and another person to himself. And bald, of course."
A number of DC comics superhero fans were initially skeptical over Eisenberg's casting as the iconic Superman villain, despite his being the same age as the lead star, Henry Cavill, who is reprising his man of steel role in this sequel film. With the emergence of his sinister Lex Luthor image, it is likely fans of the franchise will be sufficiently mollified.
Eisenberg, 31, will be stepping into the role previously made infamous by Gene Hackman in the 1978 and 1980 Superman Movies, Kevin Spacey in 2006's "Superman Returns," and Michael Rosenbaum in television's "Smallville" from 2001 to 2011.
Whether Eisenberg, who sports an impressive resume that includes "Now You See Me," "The Double," and an Academy Award nomination for his 2010 role as Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network," can step up to the plate to essay a creditably villainous Lex Luthor remains to be seen when the film hits theaters next March.