Poll: Joker vs. Lex Luthor: Who Is Off to a Worse Start?

[The Guard]

I don't know in what direction he can evolve. He certainly can't become the smooth, respectable businessman who privately tries to destroy Superman.

The "smooth, respectable businessman" Luthor is generally evolving into something else anyway. That's sort of the point of that version of the character, especially in the more modern comics. The smooth businessman thing is a mask for his true purpose and in many cases, his true personality.

Eisenberg's Luthor can certainly be smoother moving forward. That's just a matter of how the character presents and portrays himself.

If Luthor can be considered remotely respectable by many in the DCU after some of the things he's done in the comics, I don't see why the things he did in BVS are all that different. His credibility is going to take a hit, but that's also the point of the historical Luthor/Superman dynamic.

 

[Monochron]

They're both equally boring.

 

[The Endless]

I don't think Lex can evolve into a suave businessman type character now. It wouldn't seem natural after the events of BvS. Who in their right mind would take him seriously now?

If anything the most probable out come is him being a doom sayer like Renfield from Dracula. Banging on about the coming of Darkseid whilst everyone thinks he's off his nut.

 

[BestGirl]

The "smooth, respectable businessman" Luthor is generally evolving into something else anyway. That's sort of the point of that version of the character, especially in the more modern comics. The smooth businessman thing is a mask for his true purpose and in many cases, his true personality.

Eisenberg's Luthor can certainly be smoother moving forward. That's just a matter of how the character presents and portrays himself.

If Luthor can be considered remotely respectable by many in the DCU after some of the things he's done in the comics, I don't see why the things he did in BVS are all that different. His credibility is going to take a hit, but that's also the point of the historical Luthor/Superman dynamic.

After blowing up Congress and unleashing as monster on Metropolis his credibility is going to take more than a hit; it'll be utterly shot. He'll never be let out of prison, so perhaps he could be a Hannibal Lecter type, advising the heroes how to handle the next villain to come along. Or, as The Endless says, he could become Renfield.

 

[UltimatePyro9]

I went with Jesse Eisenberg's Luthor. Leto was barely in Suicide Squad to make any impression (even then, what I saw was pretty bad). Eisenberg's Luthor was in BvS throughout the whole movie and he's awkward and jarring every time he appears on-screen.

 

[Wise]

Luthor by a mile.

Joker was disappointing and off the mark, but it was at least headed in the right direction. I mean the aesthetics were lame, but they at least tried to make him a blend of whimsical and homicidal crazy.

Eisenberg's Luthor shared almost no qualities at all with the comic book character aside from the fact that he was rich and he hated Superman.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Ugh. The prospect of Luthor becoming Renfield is so wrong it hurts, and that does seem to be where the character is headed.

Congratulations, Snyder. You took one of the greatest supervillains of all time (arguably THE greatest), a man who is so brilliant that he's been able to take on the likes of Superman and the Justice League despite having no superpowers of his own, and you turned him into a jittery imbecile with a stoooopid plot who will devolve into a lobotomized lackey that not even the people IN THE MOVIE will take seriously.

GREAT TIMES AHEAD FOR THE DCEU!

 

[The Joker]

Who's Renfield?

 

[Erzengel]

Dracula's lackey.

 

[The Joker]

Oh that Renfield. I thought he was referring to a comic book character.

 

[Rorschach2012]

If I were in charge,

Lex Luthor: Bryan Cranston
The Joker: Jake Gyllenhaal

 

[Rowsdower!]

The one way DC might be able to save the Luthor character (other than a recast or a Days of Future Past/Crisis on Infinite Earths-style reset) would be to have Lex Luthor Sr. show up and take over LexCorp while his annoying brat son rots in prison. If they go that route, Cranston would be a perfect fit. But I doubt they will.

 

[Doctor Octopus]

If I were in charge,

Lex Luthor: Bryan Cranston
The Joker: Jake Gyllenhaal

Cranston is great choice. Not sure about Jake for Joker.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Have you seen Nightcrawler? That movie convinced me Jake would make a great Joker.

 

[MbJ]

The one way DC might be able to save the Luthor character (other than a recast or a Days of Future Past/Crisis on Infinite Earths-style reset) would be to have Lex Luthor Sr. show up and take over LexCorp while his annoying brat son rots in prison. If they go that route, Cranston would be a perfect fit. But I doubt they will.

And have him pay someone to shank Lex Jr. in prison for shaming the family name.

 

[metaphysician]

*cough* I'd be partial to Bokeem Woodbine as the Joker, myself. Guy is *really* good at creating an aura of "I am a monster in a human suit".

 

[The Endless]

Ugh. The prospect of Luthor becoming Renfield is so wrong it hurts, and that does seem to be where the character is headed.

Congratulations, Snyder. You took one of the greatest supervillains of all time (arguably THE greatest), a man who is so brilliant that he's been able to take on the likes of Superman and the Justice League despite having no superpowers of his own, and you turned him into a jittery imbecile with a stoooopid plot who will devolve into a lobotomized lackey that not even the people IN THE MOVIE will take seriously.

GREAT TIMES AHEAD FOR THE DCEU!

Lol well we can't be sure yet tbf.

Have you seen Nightcrawler? That movie convinced me Jake would make a great Joker.

Yea definitely would support Gylenhall for Joker. Before Leto was cast he was my fave choice for the role. Zodiac, Prisoners and Nightcrawler were really strong performances.

 

[DOBSON10]

Luthor isn't just off to a bad start, he's flat lined already. Eisenberg was a horrendous choice for the role from Day 1, the characterization could have better, absolutely but Eisenberg's performance is the real reason it's so bad. And it's not Eisenberg's fault, it's just not in his range to play the character. He should have never even been considered for the part, let alone get it. There is a reason he came in to audition for Jimmy Olsen, a role he was perfect for. His Luthor can't be fixed.

With Leto's Joker, I liked some things, hated others. The major problem with him was the characterization and writing. He absolutely has it in him to do a good version of the Joker. His voice, his laugh, his look (aside from the horrific design choices) and his acting ability make it possible for him to turn in a good performance. He has moments in the movie that were good.

Luthor/Eisenberg was just a mistake from the start.

 

[BestGirl]

I think Eisenberg had it in him to play Lex. He just should've been an outwardly personable, inwardly cold narcissist. That wouldn't've been so hard. He just decided to channel a character that was more reminiscient of the Riddler and Snyder didn't correct him for some reason.

 

[hellblazer103]

While we're on the topic of recasts, my choices are still Martin Wallström :

(I couldn't find a particular scene that demonstrated what I mean, but this music video has a compilation of scenes that could do it. He's like a perfect fusion of Leto and Mads Mikkelsen lol. POSSIBLE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN MR. ROBOT )

[YT]zJqEkLpeIz0[/YT]


Or Michael Pitt :

SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN HANNIBAL :

[YT]lI0ZoSP6P1o[/YT]

ALSO SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN FUNNY GAMES :

[YT]rTTEMNxV1rY[/YT]

 

[Hypestyle]

very different portrayals of both characters for the new DC film Universe. Joker has had a roughly what, 20 year history with Batman, but this Lex only recently has gone rogue. We'll see what happens, if they have any interaction at all.

 

[Johnny-Oh]

The Joker

Luthor is still young and could change after a few movies and to their credit it felt like they were still trying to establish him as the character that everyone knowns. The Joker on the other hand is their most iconic villain and they already ruined him, Leto was giving his all and his performance was still embarrassing, his look is awful, and I don't think they can evolve the character without changing him completely.

 

[MbJ]

http://io9.gizmodo.com/batman-v-sup..._source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Both Leto and Eisenberg are on the Razzie shortlist for Worst Supporting Actor.

 

[Erzengel]

http://io9.gizmodo.com/batman-v-sup..._source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Both Leto and Eisenberg are on the Razzie shortlist for Worst Supporting Actor.

Yttrium could be a poster on here the way he's defending the Martha scene.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Man, Michael Pitt WOULD be a great Joker. He was terrifying in Funny Games.