If there's one thing that shared cinematic universes have taught us, it's that audiences respond better to villains they've come to know over time as opposed to one-off bad guys who don't leave much of a mark. Think about Marvel's use of Tom Hiddleston's Loki as opposed to, say, the Red Skull or whatever Mickey Rourke was going for in "Iron Man 2." Marvel invested a couple different movies into building up Loki's character. The other bad guys are just blah. One and done.
Which brings us to the growing DC Extended Universe which just introduced a host of new characters in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." One of the more divisive introductions was Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. An iconic character in the comics, Eisenberg's Luthor was not well received by most fans and critics and his character was handled haphazardly, at best, by director Zack Snyder. But as a mainstay of Superman lore, should we expect Esienberg to return in the two-part "Justice League" series?
"I don't know if they are so settled on where my character goes," Eisenberg said in a recent interview. "I only hope I have another opportunity to work with these wonderful people and play this interesting character."
We assume that Warner Bros. signed Eisenberg to a multi-picture deal, which means his uncertainty regarding "Justice League: Part I," which begins filming next week, is a cause for concern. It's possible that WB has reviewed the response to his particular take on the character and decided to sideline him for now. That wouldn't be the most unheard of action in Hollywood, especially with fan petitions calling for Snyder's removal from the project entirely.
It's also possible that Eisenberg knows he's going to be a part of the "Justice League" series and is just playing coy. We know how secretive Marvel likes to be, why would DC be any different? No one would be surprised if he popped up in "Part I," plotting evil schemes and what not. As we've seen with Loki, playing the long game with a particular character can pay off.
For now, the DCEU is at a delicate crossroads. Though "Batman v Superman" is making a killing at the box office, the creative future of the shared cinematic universe is very much up in the air.
"Justice League: Part I" is scheduled for a Nov. 17, 2017 release. "Justice League: Part I" is expected to hit theaters on June 14, 2019.
Follow Brandon Katz on Twitter at @Great_Katzby
