Superman himself admired the intellectual prowess and the determination of Lex Luthor in Action Comics #271 (1960), stating that the man "could have been a mighty force for good in the world, yet he chose to direct his great scientific brain into criminal channels." This sentence probably describes Luthor more fully than this entire article - whatever past tragedy he's endured, however many hollow relationships he maintains, and whatever hatred he holds for the Man of Steel, Luthor enjoys the thrill of outsmarting everyone else above all. Hackman's performance had this in spades: rather than brooding or just grinning at the prospect of a new plan to undo Superman, Hackman laughed, jumped around excitedly, and seemed genuinely thrilled with himself for being so darn smart. I can't see Eisenberg achieving this level of absurdity and being able to pull it off, but he really does need to have fun with the role. If he doesn't enjoy himself as Luthor, how is anyone else supposed to? This is not to say that Lex Luthor commits crime just for the hell of it - as we've said, his hatred of Superman is more motive than a villain like the Joker ever cared to express. But like the Joker, Lex Luthor relishes in every criminal moment. Even when he "loses" he still wins, either by escaping incarceration or planting puzzle pieces for a later scheme. Life is a game to Luthor, and it's a game he's very good at - Jesse Eisenberg would do well to remember that. What are your thoughts on the casting of Eisenberg? What other elements of the Luthor mythos would you like to see him bring to the screen? Let us know in the comments below!
