So, if you haven't heard, Jesse Eisenberg is our new Lex Luthor. The actor is the recently added to the cast of the upcoming Batman and Superman movie coming out in 2015. Warner Brothers believes that Eisenburg will direct the role into "new and unexpected directions." Warner Bros' decision to cast Eisenberg is obviously due to them wanting to portray a much younger Lex Luthor to match the recent graphic novels and TV adaptations of the iconic villain which does so. Eisenberg is 30 while the previous actors that portrayed Lex, Kevin Spacey (46) and Gene Hackman (48) were in their late 40s. Bryan Cranston, who everyone wanted to be cast in the role, is 57. Reaction to the casting says that some of you are not liking this decision one bit. I'll admit it, the cast of the new Superman/Batman is turning into a big WTF of who is playing what. We have an unknown actor, Gal Gadot, playing Wonder Woman that we have no idea how good she will be with the role and nothing to critique her acting and who can forget the internet meltdown that was Ben Affleck as our new Batman. There have been a petition and tireless crying from comic book fanboys for weeks demanding that Affleck needs to go, but people complaining about who is playing their comic book faves is new right?
Heath Ledger as Joker
When it was announced that Heath Ledger was to play the Joker in the upcoming sequel to The Dark Knight, fans all over the internet had an outrage. How dare the guy from Brokeback Mountain play the Joker?!?! Much to say, Ledger's performance was critically acclaimed, silencing all who dare questioned whether he would do the role justice. Roger Ebert said "He transformed the character of the Joker, who we thought we knew so well, into a suffering, haunted being, stripped of all emotion except for ruthless self-pity."
Daniel Craig as James Bond
It's one thing when some Bond fans don't think you're right to fill the legendary shoes of Britain's favorite spy, but it's another when even the director thought you weren't the right choice. Before working with Craig for Skyfall, director Sam Mendes had doubts on whether Craig was worthy of the role until he saw him in Quantum of Solace. "I watched him go through that intense pressure and come through that with flying colours," says Mendes. Oh, and it doesn't hurt when Roger Moore says that you were a kickass Bond.
Anne Hathaway as Catwoman
So when news started circulating that Anne Hathaway would be donning the iconic skintight leather suit and cat ears for The Dark Knight Rises, surprise surprise, people weren't liking it. Well, they did have a reason. This was new territory for Hathaway. Most of the roles she was in were different than Catwoman. People were already comparing to Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in Batman Returns, saying she will never live up to that role. Much to say, Hathaway's performance was great. Hathaway portrayal of Catwoman was well met, praised by critics. A review in Washington Post stated: “Hathaway is the sensational secret weapon of this production, a tart, leggy operator who can turn on a dime from damsel-in-distress to canny kitten-with-a-whip.”
So there you have it. A short list of few actors that got a lot of criticism for being chosen to play legendary fictional characters and rose above the pressure. Will the cast of the new Batman/Superman be just as critically acclaimed? We'll see. Will everyone suck? Maybe. Will Ben Affleck be considered a better Batman than Michael Keaton or at least not as bad as Val Kilmer? The Fates will decide. What I'm saying people is give them a chance.
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