Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Was Good, Admit It

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of the most controversial films of the last decade. Like most of director Zack Snyder's films, the DC Comics adaptation has its share of loyal, passionate supporters. But upon its 2016 release, the film was met with mixed to negative reviews, and many viewers have continued to criticize it since. The film also did not achieve the kind of gargantuan financial success expected of a blockbuster featuring the first live-action meeting between comics’ two most famous superheroes. Virtually every major aspect of the film has been criticized by one detractor or another, with frequent targets being the film’s tone and characterization of its leads. The portrayal of villain Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) received particularly harsh criticism, directed at both Eisenberg’s performance and the writing and aesthetic choices associated with the character. But if one takes another careful look at what the film is doing with Eisenberg’s Lex, one may be surprised by how effective a villain he is and how much he has in common with other, more popular versions of the character.