Batman vs Superman Movie: 'House of Cards' Star Kevin Spacey and 'Smallville's' Michael Rosenbaum Defend Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor in 'Man of Steel 2'
The Man of Steel sequel, nicknamed Batman vs. Superman, made a lot of comic book fans scratch their heads when it cast Jesse Eisenberg as big, bad Lex Luthor. Fellow actors Michael Rosenbaum and Kevin Spacey, on the other hand, are on board.
Rosenbaum played Lex Luthor from 2001 until 2011 on The WB's drama, Smallville. With 10 years of Lex Luthor experience under his belt, the 41-year-old actor knows a thing or two about being Superman's nemesis. Rosenbaum, however, says that Eisenberg does not need any training.
"First off, I think he's a really good actor," Rosenbaum said in an interview with The Cinematic Katzenjammer. "I don't think he needs any advice from me. He'll do his homework. Do it your way. I'm sure [director Zack Snyder] has an idea. He cast you for reason. Jesse's a good actor. He'll do it his own way, and that's the best way."
Rosenbaum previously expressed interest in playing Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman after being encouraged by fans but recognized that he was not the studio's biggest contender.
"If you can do it your way, if you succeed or fail, you succeed because you are being original," he continued. "If you're trying to emulate someone, you'll always be compared. That's why I didn't want to be compared during Smallville. I didn't watch any of Gene Hackman as Lex. He'll be fantastic. Great actor, no problem with it."
Eisenberg is only 30 years old and is best known for playing an Internet whiz in The Social Network, but he has at least one more fan in acting veteran Spacey, who now stars in Netflix's House of Cards.
"First of all, I think [Jesse Eisenberg] is a remarkable actor," Spacey told Empire magazine. "He's just going to f**king own it. I think it's a great idea, and I wish him the best with it."
The untitled Man of Steel sequel hits theaters May 6, 2016.