Superman: All 11 Lex Luthor actors ranked from worst to best

Supergirl -- “Nightmare in National City” -- Image Number: SPG616fg_0026r -- Pictured: Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor -- Photo: The CW -- © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Supergirl -- “Nightmare in National City” -- Image Number: SPG616fg_0026r -- Pictured: Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor -- Photo: The CW -- © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. /
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Lex Luthor
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 20: Actor Jesse Eisenberg attends the “Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice” New York Premiere at Radio City Music Hall on March 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) /

6. Jesse Eisenberg (Batman v Superman, Justice League)

When it was announced that Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor in the DCEU, there was a lot of excitement among fans at the potential he had to deliver an amazing iteration of Lex Luthor. After all, we already knew by then that Eisenberg was an incredible actor with a gifted ability to bring complex characters to life.

While some commend Eisenberg’s take on the character, for many others, his performance was a bit too quirky and lacked the gravitas that a character such as Lex requires and is known for in the comics. But we can’t fault Eisenberg entirely as his performance was due to the lack of direction the character was given by the writers.

Luthor’s motivations and goals were muddled and underdeveloped, making it hard to understand why he did the things he did. There was never a clear reason for the actions the character took with it almost feeling like he was thrown into the mix on a whim, and it showed by the directionless narrative of the character’s arc.

Eisenberg is an amazing actor. We know this. Had he been given stronger materials, there is no denying his Lex could have been one of the all-time greats. Instead, he was never fully given teh chance to showcase his abilities leading to a less-than-memorable Lex.