2016 may feel like its a long way away, but with the massive Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice crossover film to create, Warner Bros. are already well advanced in their preparations and the cast for the movie is shaping up to be an interesting one. Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) had been the only certainty for a good while since the movie was first announced, but it hasn’t taken long for the list to swell and the most recent announcement is that Jesse Eisenberg (American Ultra) will be taking the role of Lex Luther, following in the footsteps of Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey.
Very little is known about the storyline for the movie, although Eisenberg’s announcement as the criminal mastermind tells us a lot about how it’s going to shape up. We also know that there’s going to be a certain amount of adversarial clashes between Batman and Superman as the two giants of DC Comics face off for the first time on the big screen. With Luther in the mix also, it’s bound to be a case of the two putting their differences aside to take on the might of the supervillain and save the day once again.
In addition to Cavill and Eisenberg, Warner Bros. has also confirmed the man behind the mask for the caped crusader, a role that they’ve strangely given to Ben Affleck (Argo). It does give him the opportunity to try to make up for the monumentally woeful Daredevil, although it also poses the risk of his superhero jinx rubbing off on the rest of Batman vs Superman, which is why it’s such an unexpected casting choice.
This puts a massive amount of responsibility on director, Zach Snyder, to make sure he gets the best out of the two-time Academy Award winner. However, when you take the brutal nature of his previous films (Dawn of the Dead, Sucker Punch, Watchmen) into account, you’ve got to put your money on the Batman/Superman crossover being a whole lot less limp than Daredevil turned out to be.
Jeremy Irons has also recently been confirmed to play Bruce Wayne’s reliable butler, Alfred, taking over from Michael Cane. Perhaps best known for his villainous roles in The Lion King and Die Hard with a Vengeance, although most loved by us for Danny the Champion of the World, it’ll be interesting to see how the British actor portrays Batman’s trusted confident.
Discussing the most recent addition to the Batman vs. Superman cast, Snyder stated, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory 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.”
The director 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 honor 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.”
As the film is a direct sequel to the recent Superman reboot, Man of Steel, the cast will once again feature Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Diane Lane as Kal-El’s adopted mother, Martha Kent. All of whom put in strong performances in the roles in the previous film, so their return should be positive news for the potential of the upcoming movie.
However, perhaps the most exciting of all the casting announcement is the addition of Gal Gadot to the film. While Gal’s impressive enough all by herself, the real news is that she’ll be playing Diane Prince, AKA Wonder Woman, confirming the character’s inclusion in the movie’s storyline. She’ll also be starring in her own movie, Wonder Woman (2017), to cover the origin story behind her inclusion in Batman vs Superman.
Batman vs. Superman (2016) cast:
- Henry Cavill – Clark Kent and his man of steel alter ego, Superman.
- Ben Affleck – Bruce Wayne/Batman
- Gal Gadot – Diane Prince/Wonder Woman
- Jesse Eisenberg – Lex Luther
- Jeremy Irons – Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s trusty butler
- Amy Adams – Lois Lane
- Laurence Fishburne – Perry White
- Diane Lane – Martha Kent
The cast will go on to reprise their roles in the next film in the DC Cinematic Universe series, Justice League.
 cast announced by Warner Bros, along with details on the upcoming movie from the film section of Tuppence Magazine.){kind=link}