Batman V. Superman star Jesse Eisenberg thinks that playing Lex Luthor in the poorly received film “hurt [his] career in a real way”

Jesse Eisenberg says that playing Lex Luthor in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice hurt his career “in a real way”.

“I was in this Batman movie and the Batman movie was so poorly received, and I was so poorly received,” Eisenberg told Dax Shepherd on his Armchair Expert podcast. “I’ve never said this before and it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but I genuinely think it actually hurt my career in a real way, because I was poorly received in something so public. I’ve been in poorly received things that just don’t see the light of day, and for the most part, no one knows, but this was so public, and I don’t read notices or reviews or movie press or anything, so I was unaware of how poorly it was received.”

The Zack Snyder-directed pic was part of the now defunct DCEU, and saw Lex Luthor (Eisenberg) manipulate Batman (Ben Affleck) into a battle with Superman (Henry Cavill) – who Luthor is canonically obsessed with destroying.

It was a box office success, grossing $874 million against a budget of $250 million, but was widely hated by critics and fans alike. The movie currently holds a 29% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 63% audience score.

Some critics commented that Eisenberg’s mannerisms as Lex Luthor were too close to Heather Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight, with Gizmodo writing that someone must have told Eisenberg that “Batman v. Superman is the Dark Knight to Man of Steel’s Batman Begins”.

Nicholas Hoult has taken over the role for the new DCU, and we get a glimpse at him (and his very shiny head) in the first trailer for James Gunn’s Superman.

Eisenberg can be seen next in A Real Pain, which is in theaters now. Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025. For more, check out our list of all the upcoming DC movies and shows you need to know about.