Well, we thought that we would be getting some more MAN OF STEEL sequel casting news in February. We also thought that Bryan Cranston or Joaquin Phoenix would be getting the Lex Luthor gig. Turns out we were wrong on both fronts. It’s technically still January, and it’s now been officially confirmed that playing Lex Luthor will be none other than Jesse Eisenberg. Added to that, Jeremy Irons has been cast as Alfred Pennyworth. Holy casting announcements, Batman!

As the combined masses of the Internet strain their minds to try and imagine Eisenberg without hair, director Zack Snyder declared, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavoury reputation preceding him since 1940. 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.”

On the Alfred front Snyder added, “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honour 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.”

So there we have it: two new names added to this Batman/Superman tear-up/team-up. Cinematically, Eisenberg follows in the most recent steps of Kevin Spacey and Gene Hackman, whilst Irons takes over a role made famous by Michael Caine and Michael Gough.

As ever, we’re sure some may question these casting decisions, but both actors certainly have the chops to pull off the role, even if, in Eisenberg’s case at least, they may not be obvious choices for the roles in question. Eisenberg is best known for playing Mack Zuckerberg in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, for which he received Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award and BAFTA Award nominations. Irons went one better, actually winning an Academy Award for his turn as Claus von Bulow in REVERSAL OF FORTUNE.

We’d go as far as to say to expect some more casting news in the next month or so, as it’s been pretty much guaranteed that the movie will contain two villains, with Doomsday and Metallo heading up the latest rumours out there.

The MAN OF STEEL sequel – can we please just officially call it BATMAN VS SUPERMAN yet? – sees Henry Cavill return as Clark Kent/Superman, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Diana Lane as Martha Kent.

Directed by Zack Snyder, with a screenplay from David Goyer (just for a change), the movie is set to open across the globe on 6th May, 2016.

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