Let’s be real. When people talk about the batman v superman villain, most fans immediately think of Jesse Eisenberg twitching his way through a Silicon Valley-style meltdown. It was polarizing. Some folks absolutely hated it, calling it a "Joker-lite" performance that missed the mark of the cold, calculated businessman we saw in the cartoons or the comics.
But honestly? If you look closer, there’s a lot more going on under the hood of that performance than just a weird guy in a wig.
Zack Snyder didn't want a generic corporate suit. He wanted a villain that felt like a threat for the 2010s—a twitchy, hyper-intellectual tech bro who uses information as a weapon because he knows he can't win a fistfight with a god. This version of Lex Luthor is a deep dive into trauma, theology, and the absolute terror of being helpless.
The Problem of Power (and Daddy Issues)
The core of the batman v superman villain isn't actually world domination. It’s a philosophical crisis. Lex spent his childhood getting knocked around by his father, Alexander Luthor Sr. He mentions "Daddy’s fists and abominations" in a pretty chilling rooftop speech.
To Lex, power is inherently abusive.
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He grew up believing that if there is a God—someone all-powerful—then that God cannot be good, because a good God would have stopped his father from hitting him. Then Superman shows up. Suddenly, there’s a literal "god" in a blue cape. Lex can’t handle the cognitive dissonance. He has to prove that Superman is either not all-powerful (by killing him) or not all-good (by making him kill Batman).
It’s a rigged game.
Why the "Jolly Rancher" Scene Actually Matters
Remember that weird moment where Lex shoves a piece of candy into a politician's mouth? It’s uncomfortable. It’s gross. But it’s also a power move. Lex is showing that he can violate someone’s personal space and autonomy without saying a word. He’s "the man with the power" now, and he’s using it to bully people the way he was bullied.
The Master Plan: Was It Actually Nonsense?
A lot of critics said Lex’s plan was too convoluted. Let’s break it down. He wants to discredit Superman. To do that, he:
- Frames Superman for a massacre in Africa.
- Intercepts checks to a maimed Wayne Enterprises employee to fuel Bruce Wayne’s rage.
- Bombs the U.S. Capitol to make Superman look like a failure (or a co-conspirator).
- Kidnaps Martha Kent to force a "death match."
It’s a lot. But here's the thing: Lex is a gambler who plays every side of the board. He didn't just want Batman to kill Superman; he wanted to see which one of his theories would be proven right first. If Batman wins, then God isn't all-powerful. If Superman kills Batman to save his mom, then God isn't all-good.
Lex wins either way.
Then there’s Doomsday. The big, grey, bony monster at the end. Many fans felt Doomsday was rushed, and yeah, maybe he was. But narratively, Doomsday is Lex’s "fail-safe." If man won’t kill God, the devil will. Doomsday is literally made from Lex’s blood and the corpse of General Zod. It’s a perversion of life, a "blood of my blood" moment that shows just how far Lex has descended into madness.
The Casting That Almost Happened
Did you know Jesse Eisenberg wasn't the first choice? Zack Snyder actually met with Leonardo DiCaprio for the role. Can you imagine that? DiCaprio as the batman v superman villain would have been a totally different vibe—probably more of a Wolf of Wall Street meets Django Unchained energy. Snyder also reportedly talked to Adam Driver.
In the end, they went with Eisenberg to capture that "young billionaire" energy. Think Mark Zuckerberg, but if he spent his free time reading Nietzsche and trying to murder aliens.
The Ultimate Edition Fixes Everything
If you’ve only seen the theatrical cut of Batman v Superman, you’ve only seen half the story. The "Ultimate Edition" adds 30 minutes of footage that actually explains how Lex manipulated the African incident and how he stayed one step ahead of Lois Lane. It turns him from a lucky weirdo into a genuine mastermind.
What We Get Wrong About the Ending
Lex ends the movie bald and in a prison cell, ringing a bell and talking about "the bells" that have been rung in the dark. He’s not just crazy here; he’s terrified. By accessing the Kryptonian scout ship, he learned about Darkseid (the big bad of the DC universe).
He realized that by killing Superman, he actually left Earth defenseless.
He "won," but he doomed the planet in the process. It’s a classic Greek tragedy ending. He got exactly what he wanted—the death of a god—and realized too late that the god was the only thing keeping the real monsters away.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Ultimate Edition: Seriously. It changes the entire context of Lex’s plan and makes the plot holes disappear.
- Look at the Art: The painting in Lex’s study (the one with the angels and demons) is flipped halfway through the movie. It’s a visual cue for Lex’s worldview shifting from "waiting for a savior" to "becoming the devil."
- Listen to the Score: Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL gave Lex a theme that sounds like a broken, frantic harpsichord. It’s meant to represent his fractured mental state.
If you want to truly understand the batman v superman villain, you have to stop looking for a comic-book caricature. Look for the traumatized kid who grew up to be a monster because he couldn't accept that someone could be powerful and kind at the same time. It’s a dark, messy, and complicated take on the character—but it’s one that stays with you long after the credits roll.
To dive deeper into the lore, start by comparing the theatrical cut's pacing with the 182-minute Ultimate Edition to see how the villain's "omniscience" was originally intended to be portrayed.