'Batman V Superman' Viral Marketing: Meet Vegan Hipster Lex Luthor
Ever since Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) was cast in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, fans haven't been quite sure what to make of the actor playing Lex Luthor. It's a completely out-of-the-box choice, which, to me, is exciting. The glimpses of his performance in the Comic-Con trailer teased an eccentric take on the character, but a new piece of Batman v Superman viral marketing gives us a better idea of what to expect from the new Lex Luthor. Learn about Superman's adversary after the jump.
Fortune has run a "profile piece" on Alexander Joseph Luthor Jr., the 31-year-old, jeans-wearing genius. The unnamed journalists ask the young billionaire a few questions, as they wait in line for the LexCorp vegan food truck, which, really, is a funny little character detail. This Lex Luthor is a vegan, with arm tats, dirty hipster hair, and all. Who wouldn't be scared of a guy like that?
The piece opens with personal details, touching on the character's backstory:
Dad named the company after himself ten years before I made my unexpected entrance into his life. But investors seemed to respond to the idea of an adoring father building a legacy for his precious son. He used that to his advantage. It was a good shtick and, whatever else he was, he was a good businessman.
Alexander Luthor Sr. is an "East German émigré, who passed away unexpectedly in 2000," who "arrived on our shores with nothing, but managed to carve out an empire of oil and machinery." It's no accident the article mentions Lex Luthor's dad is an immigrant. The trailer for Batman v Superman wasn't shy about using Superman as an allegory for immigration.
There's a handful of mentions of Wayne Enterprises in the article, highlighting the similarities and differences between Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Lex Luthor's companies. Unlike Wayne, Luthor says, he believes in military contracts:
It's a necessity. We live in the most dangerous point of time in all of human history. Statistically speaking, it's a near certainty that another world-changing crisis is hurtling toward us like a speeding bullet. We have to be ready to defend ourselves. No civilization was ever conquered by having a strong military.
The article is a pretty nifty advertisement for Zack Snyder's (Watchmen) film. The Dark Knight's viral marketing campaign was a huge hit with fans, and it's likely Warner Bros. wants to repeat that success with their upcoming superhero pic. The film is over five months away, so expect plenty more Batman v. Superman viral marketing. In the meantime, you can follow Alexander Luthor Jr. on twitter.
Batman v. Superman opens in theaters March 25th, 2016.