Though many feared Jessie Eisenberg’s megalomaniac had been nixed entirely, it looks like Lex Luthor will be featured in the final cut of Justice League after all.
At least, that’s according to a new magazine article (via Reddit), which claims that the villain will be back in Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon’s tentpole, after being imprisoned at the end of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Granted, we’d heard the other week that the character still had a role in the film, but with so many mixed reports going around, it’s nice to get further confirmation. And not only that, but we’re also told that he’ll be working alongside Steppenwolf, who we know will be the true big bad of the pic.
For Eisenberg, then, it’s still unclear how much screen time will be allocated to his devious villain, though we assume Justice League will pay far more attention to Steppenwolf once the mass invasion gets underway. It should also be noted that Lex Luthor didn’t appear in the final trailer whatsoever. Couple that with those earlier reports of Luthor being left out of Warner’s advanced screenings and it would seem Jesse Eisenberg’s involvement is minor at best. Perhaps we’ll get a cutaway shot to his Lex Luthor wallowing away in prison? Time will tell.
One thing worth keeping in mind is that it was actually Luthor who reached out to Steppenwolf and, by effect, Darkseid at the tail-end of Batman V Superman, so perhaps he holds himself responsible for the impending apocalypse. The fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, then, and it’s up to DC’s costumed crusaders to set aside old differences and come together in the face of a common and seemingly insurmountable enemy. Because let’s face it, you can’t save the world alone.
Look for Justice League to slam into theaters on November 17th. And despite those extensive reshoots and pick-ups, we understand that this is still very much Snyder’s movie, with Whedon being awarded a writing credit alongside Chris Terrio (Star Wars: Episode IX).