Jesse Eisenberg Thinks the Poor Reception to His Lex Luthor in ‘Batman v Superman’ Hurt His Career

Jesse Eisenberg recently opened up about his struggles following his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The actor revealed that the film’s poor reception left a lasting impact on his career, making it one of the most challenging moments of his professional life.

Eisenberg admitted that the negative reaction to both the movie and his performance as Lex was difficult to process. “I was in this Batman movie, and it was so poorly received, and I was so poorly received,” he said. “It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but I genuinely think it actually hurt my career in a real way because I was poorly received in something so public.”

This marked the first time Eisenberg experienced widespread backlash from a role. While he’s been in poorly received projects before, he noted that those typically go unnoticed. However, the high-profile nature of Batman v Superman made it impossible to avoid the criticism.

The film, directed by Zack Snyder, struggled with critics upon its release, earning just a 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes, although its extended “Ultimate Edition” fared better with fans.

Following a strong debut that set new box office records, the film experienced a historic drop in its second weekend and never recovered. Although it grossed $873.6 million worldwide, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2016, it performed below expectations and was not well received from critics.

Eisenberg’s take on Lex Luthor, often compared to a more erratic version of his Mark Zuckerberg character in The Social Network, polarized audiences. Critics argued his performance didn’t align with the character’s traditional portrayal, with some feeling his Luthor lacked the menace expected of a major villain.

Despite the backlash, Eisenberg reflected on the experience with a sense of personal responsibility. “I loved my role and the movie, doing it and everything, so I feel just myself to blame,” he said. He described the aftermath as depressing but admitted that he tends to approach situations with a pessimistic mindset.

In the years following Batman v Superman, Eisenberg shifted his focus to writing and directing. He made his feature directorial debut with When You Finish Saving the World in 2022 and is now promoting his second project, A Real Pain, which is already generating awards buzz.

While Lex Luthor will next be portrayed by Nicholas Hoult in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman, Eisenberg seems to have found his footing again in the industry.

You can watch the full interview here:

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