Category Archives: Superman

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred; The World is What It Is

Breaking news in the world of superhero movie casting: Warner Bros. announced today that Jesse Eisenberg has been cast as Lex Luthor, and Jeremy Irons will be Alfred in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman movie. This is the kind of news that’s going to send fanboys foaming at the mouth. And after casting Ben Affleck as Batman, the fanboys are already up in arms about this flick.

Personally? I’m cool with it.

Eisenberg, of course, famously playing Mark Zuckerberg in that Facebook movie, whose name escapes me. But he was awesome in that film, and how much you want to bet that performance is what landed him the role of Lex Luthor? He’s going to be a young, smarmy, too-smart-for-his-own-good sort of Luthor. I’ll grant you, he doesn’t really give Luthor any gravitas, and Eisenberg probably isn’t very imposing, but so what? I think it’s easy to see what the studio is going for here, and I think they can make it work.

Though he’ll probably look like a twerp bald.

Speaking of bald.

Of course, Jeremy Irons is Jeremy Irons. No explanation necessary. He’ll probably do as good a job as anybody.

Here’s what Director Zack Snyder said today, officially:

“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.”

I’m down with both of these casting decisions. Bring’em on.

Now hurry up and cast Dick Grayson already!

The LEGO Movie is Almost Here!

Oh man! The LEGO Movie comes out next week! I can’t wait, so why not enjoy this last minute new trailer!

A Man of Steel parody, nice.

Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 1/18/14

Holy cow, you guys, the Blob is back! The Blob! Not the Age of Apocalypse Blob, or skinny Blob, or powerless Blob, but the real, regular, normal, 616 Blob is back in all his glory in this week’s issue of Uncanny X-Men! With no explanation whatsoever, Brian Michael Bendis just brings back one of my all-time favorite comic book super-villains! And he’s great! Oh man, I hope Bendis has some fun plans for the character!

But the return of the Blob does not win Uncanny X-Men Comic Book of the Week on its own. No sir. Uncanny X-Men wins that title for an absolutely amazing Magneto story, which catapults him to maybe the most badass mutant on the planet these days. If his upcoming solo series is anywhere near as good as this issue, then we’re all in for a treat.

Fortunately, we’ve also got good issues of Thor: God of Thunder, Superior Spider-Man and some other titles this week. I even picked up Skyman #1 by Dark Horse!

But man, I’m so excited for the Blob!

I love the Hawaiian shirt, the sunglasses and the goatee; I love’em!

Comic Reviews: Amazing X-Men #3, Green Lantern Corps #27, Skyman #1, Superior Spider-Man #25, Superman/Wonder Woman #4, Thor: God of Thunder #17 and Uncanny X-Men #16. 

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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 12/14/13

I hate Inhumanity already. I know, I know, I’m getting way ahead of myself. The event has barely even started, and it’s being written by one of my favorite comic book writers, Matt Fraction. But the evil that Inhumanity commits against Uncanny X-Men this week is nigh unforgivable! You’ll see what I mean when we get to it.

The rest of the comic book haul was pretty good this week. I especially enjoyed Mighty Avengers and Wolverine and the X-Men, both good books with some strong characterizations. I also gave a few looks at Batman, Superman/Wonder Woman and even Green Lantern Corps! But the hands down winner of Comic Book of the Week goes to Superior Foes of Spider-Man for turning in the funniest issue yet!

Comic Reviews: Batman #26, Green Lantern Corps #26, Mighty Avengers #4, Superior Foes of Spider-Man #6, Superman/Wonder Woman #3, Uncanny X-Men #15 and Wolverine and the X-Men #39.

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Wonder Woman Rumors Were True! An Actress has Been Cast!

The rumors that Wonder Woman would be in the upcoming Superman/Batman movie were proven true today when Warner Bros. announced they had cast actress Gal Gadot!

I’ve never heard of her, but the Internet says this is Gadot:

Gadot has apparently had some supporting roles in a few Fast & Furious movies, none of which I’ve seen, so I can’t comment on her acting ability or screen presence. But just the fact that Wonder Woman will be in the movie exciting! Plus this probably means those rumors about Dick Grayson being in the movie are also true! That is stupendous!

This news is so cool that I’m willingly ignoring the fact that I didn’t like Man of Steel at all!

Director Zack Snyder had this to say about Gadot:

Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character.

So what does everyone else think? Wonder Woman’s going to get a cameo appearance in a Superman/Batman movie before starring in her own much-desired film. Is this a good move or silly? I think it’s pretty cool.