Dave McNary
Film Reporter
@Variety_DMcNary



Warner Bros. Pictures has cast Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons will play Alfred in the upcoming Superman-Batman film.

The castings, announced Friday, come two weeks after Warner pushed production on the untitled “Superman-Batman” movie to the second quarter of this year and set a release date of May 6, 2016 as the studio departed from a July, 2015 slot.

The film is in pre-production with Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman and Zack Snyder directing.

The Superman-Batman pic will also reunite “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane, and also stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince.

The screenplay will be written by David S. Goyer, from a story co-created by Goyer and Snyder. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan and Wesley Coller serving as exec producers.

“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940,” Snyder said. “What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

Lex Luthor did not appear in last year’s Superman reboot “Man of Steel.” Gene Hackman played the role in the three “Superman” films opposite Christopher Reeve; Kevin Spacey took the part for 2006′s “Superman Returns.”

Irons is replacing Michael Caine, who portrayed Alfred in all three Christian Bale Batman films.

“As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure,” Snyder said. “He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

Eisenberg next appears in “The Double” and “Night Moves.” Irons recently appeared in the television miniseries “The Hollow Crown” as Henry IV.

Variety

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Jessie Eisenberg is a weird choice for Luthor. I like Eisenberg, I think he's a great actor. But I don't think he fits the whole Lex Luthor character. Jeremy Irons on the other hand, I think will be a good Alfred but he isn't Michael Caine. He's constantly going to be compared to him and it's not fair at all. That's the problem with Batman franchise, Affleck will be compared to Christian Bale and Irons to Michael Caine. Not fair on the actors.