In a parallel universe not far from ours, Leonardo DiCaprio nailed the role of Lex Luthor in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,’ so said Zack Snyder, the movie’s director who was on the fence about this casting call. Can you imagine Leo going head-to-head with Batman and Superman, maneuvering a high-tech suit of armor, with a sleek bald head? The thought simply sends chills down the spine!
Rumors whirled around like a tornado in Kansas when parallels were drawn between Leo and Luthor by Zack Snyder. It wasn’t just a casual consideration. The director, known for his all-out creative visual style, took a serious look at the actor as a strong candidate for the role. DiCaprio’s square jaw, piercing blue eyes, and ability to take up complex characters gave him the exotic flare befitting of Superman’s greatest nemesis. However, as fate would have it, Jesse Eisenberg snagged the role instead.
No shade thrown at Eisenberg, but just imagine for a moment if the Titanic sweetheart swapped his romantic charm for a bit of villainy. Crazy, right? We’d probably have fans campaigning for “Save Lex Luthor” movements due to Leo’s sheer charisma. Would Superman and Batman stand a chance?
Imagine the scenes:
Lex Luthor (Leo in this case) in a classic faceoff with Batman, dropping one of those iconic DiCaprio smirks, uttering in an icy tone, “Does your mommy know you’re playing with her Batmobile, Batsy?” or Superman attempting to throw one of his morality tinted speeches, only for Luthor (slick as ever) to quip back, “Save it for Lois, Supes. I know you can’t resist playing hero.” These possibilities could have given ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ an interesting twist, to say the least.
What’s more? Snyder seemed pretty jazzed about the idea. FUN FACT ALERT: Snyder almost broke the internet when he confessed to envisioning DiCaprio as Lex Luthor. If the cards had fallen right, we would’ve been watching Leo outwit the World’s Finest using nothing but his wits and mega-billionaire resources. Talk about stepping up the ante!
Reflecting on Leo’s phenomenal acting record, playing Luthor was right up his alley. Who better than an Oscar-winning actor to bring depth and complexity to Luthor? Looking at his roles in ‘The Departed,’ ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ and ‘The Revenant,’ Leo’s acting prowess shines through. A maverick in taking on diverse and challenging roles, he could have easily channeled the essence of Lex Luthor.
It’s like a sundae with the cherry on top: Lex Luthor’s character leaning towards an amalgamation of charming and elitist Howard Hughes from ‘The Aviator’, mixed with a dash of deranged Danny Archer from ‘Blood Diamond’. Plus, let’s not forget the magnetic charm of Jay Gatsby from ‘The Great Gatsby’.
Will we ever get to see such a spectacle? Even knower-of-all-things-DC, Snyder, seems unsure! Yet, he did hint that he would love to cast DiCaprio in his movies.
Super-duper non-feasible dream or not, it’s a thought that might make you rethink every DC movie henceforth. Hey, if Jamie Foxx could be Electro in the Spider-Man reboot, and Robert Pattinson could pull off the Dark Knight in ‘The Batman’, Leo as Lex could be a stroke of great casting luck!
For now, let’s stick with Eisenberg’s stylish take on Luthor until our alternate universe sends us a bald Leo as Lex! And while we’re at it, why not share this fun fact with your comic geek friends? Maybe over a game of virtual Trivia night? It’s guaranteed to spark some super (pun intended) animated debates. After all, everyone loves a ‘What if’ story!
