The DCEU has expanded considerably over the course of the last few years, bringing an army of heroes and villains into the equation. One of the most unique of the bunch is Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, who evolved from his impetuous and impulsive persona in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to his more measured and traditional Luthor in Justice League's post-credits scene, raising questions about where the character would go from there. On that note, in a recent interview at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Eisenberg addressed the uncertainty of his future as Lex but tempered that uncertainty with the hope that he gets to return at some point. The actor said:
I hope so. I mean, I have no idea is the truth. I love playing the character. Probably in terms of movie acting, it's the most enjoyable character I've had the opportunity to play. So I would love to do it again. But I don't know what their slate is. If you have any pull, please use it.
There is definitely room for Jesse Eisenberg to return to the DCEU as Lex Luthor at some point. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice offered up an origin story for the supervillain, and Justice League's post-credits scene offered up a comic-accurate portrayal with the intention of creating the Legion of Doom (alongside Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke). Logistically speaking, Lex Luthor could return, and Eisenberg seems incredibly interested in playing him again, but his guess is as good as ours as to whether or not that will actually happen.
Another thing worth noting about Jesse Eisenberg's remarks to Variety at SXSW is the fact that the Zombieland star was able to clear up some misconceptions about his role in Justice League. Rumors swirled online for quite a while suggesting that Lex initially had a bigger role in Justice League until the folks at DC and Warner Bros. decided to trim his part down to a cameo. However, as Eisenberg explained it, his role in the film (small as it was) actually increased by the time it debuted.
If you need a refresher course on the last appearance of Lex Luthor in the DCEU, check out the Justice League post-credits scene, below, to see how the film lays the groundwork for the eventual introduction of the Legion of Doom.
Of course, Jesse Eisenberg might not know the extent of his future with DC because the company itself remains in the midst of a creative overhaul.The comic book giant is in the middle of a massive reshuffling following the lackluster performance of Justice League at the box office, and much of that has involved bringing in new talent (such as The Conjuring Universe's Walter Hamada) to streamline the development process. We obviously know that films like Shazam! and Wonder Woman 2 are on the way, but we do not yet know if any DC films actually featuring an appearance by Lex Luthor are currently in development.
Justice League's Digital HD release is currently available, while the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the film will debut tomorrow. As for other DC movies that you need to watch out for, make sure to keep an eye on James Wan's Aquaman, which will premiere on the big screen later this year on December 21.
