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There have been nigh-on countless Batman vs. Superman rumors since the movie was announced (Kryptonian Amazons, Denzel Washington as Lex Luthor, Josh Holloway as…somebody), and yet only one rumor has really been on the ball – the one about Wonder Woman being in the film. The two biggest official announcements so far – Batfleck and Lexenberg – came as a shock to everyone.
Speaking of rumors, a new source is claiming to have the lowdown on Lex Luthor’s backstory in the film, as well as Bruce Wayne/Batman’s reason for getting involved.
This one comes courtesy of El Mayimbe at Latino-Review, who has previously been right about some things (the plot of The Avengers, the inclusion of Thanos) and wrong about other things (Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan coming back for Justice League). So it probably goes without saying that you should wait for some kind of official confirmation before you buy into these rumors wholesale.
We’ve compiled a bulleted list of the details from the report below. According to Latino-Review:
* Lex Luthor will be bald. (Shaved bald, not follicly challenged bald.)
* He’s way into tattoos and has a sleeve of the Metropolis skyline.
* He’s the richest man in the world – a tech genius and ruthless businessman – and became a self-made billionaire at age 18.
* In his teens, Lex was a “street tough” and the head of a street gang (hopefully, we’ll see flashbacks of him and his buddies with their sleeves rolled up, switchblades in-hand).
* Apparently, Bruce Wayne – sometime in the past – called Lex an “amoral, arrogant brat,” so they don’t like each other; Lex also resents that Wayne was born into wealth.
* Bruce Wayne comes to town to help rebuild Metropolis after the battle in Man of Steel; he wants Wayne Enterprises to pool its resources with LexCorp. Lex agrees.
* Lex thinks of Superman as an “alien,” a “trespasser” on Earth; Bruce Wayne thinks of Superman as an “impressive specimen.” Whereas Lex believes Superman can (and presumably should) be killed, Bruce Wayne thinks they can resolve their problems peacefully.
* The report also heavily implies that Luthor guesses that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
Lexy and the Greasers LOL
Some of these details are sort of expected at this point – for example, few people would be surprised if this version of Lex Luthor were a tech genius or if Bruce Wayne came to town (in an official capacity) to help rebuild Metropolis. On the other hand, the idea of Jesse Eisenberg playing Lex as a tatted up former gang leader would be very surprising indeed.
Let’s operate under the assumption that any of this is true. First things first – is it a good idea? Can Eisenberg pull off street ruffian – or, more to the point, the (former) leader of a group of street ruffians? It’s not a role he’s ever played before and he typically skews more toward upper middle-class, nerdy roles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he can’t pull off a more “down-to-Earth” role like this, but it does all sound a little dubious.
Other details from the report feel a bit contradictory with regard to what we’ve heard previously. If this version of Batman/Bruce Wayne initially admires Superman and wants to make peace with him straightaway, the film won’t be anything like The Dark Knight Returns, which saw the two superheroes at odds from the get-go.
And therein lies the contradiction: One of the few concrete things we know about Batman vs. Superman is that it WILL derive inspiration from the aforementioned Frank Miller comic book. That’s why Zack Snyder announced the film by having Henry Lennix recite a passage from the last issue of TDKR:
“I want you to remember Clark, in all the years to come. In all your private moments. In all the years to come, my hand at your throat. I want you to remember, the one man who beat you.”
That’s Batman with his hand around Superman’s throat, reveling in the Man of Steel’s defeat. If these rumors are true and if Batman vs. Superman is taking inspiration from TDKR…well, it’s going about it in a very strange way.
Man of Steel 2/Batman vs. Superman is expected to hit theaters May 6th, 2016.