Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder are aiming very, very high for the villain role in the upcoming Man of Steel follow-up Batman vs. Superman. With the casting of Ben Affleck as an older, weathered Batman, the studio turned plenty of heads, and they recently tapped Gal Gadot to play Wonder Woman in what is likely the first of many feature film appearances by the female superhero. Directly after the release of Man of Steel, fans assumed that Snyder and Co. would be bringing iconic Superman villain Lex Luthor into the mix for the follow-up, and indeed Easter Eggs hidden in Man of Steel pointed to Luthor’s existence in the DC cinematic universe.

As Snyder prepares to begin production on Batman vs. Superman early next year, he’s swinging for the fences when it comes to casting what is very possibly the Luthor role by extending an offer to one Joaquin Phoenix. Hit the jump for more, and if you missed the latest news that Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio is being brought in to touch up the script, click here.



Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. wants Joaquin Phoenix for a key role in Batman vs. Superman, which is believed to be the main villain. While previous reports have mentioned Jason Momoa and Callan Mulvey in connection with antagonistic roles in Batman vs. Superman, they’re said to be in contention for characters other than the film’s main villain, which sources tell Variety could be Lex Luthor.

It’s very early days in the process and even if Warner Bros. extends an offer to Phoenix, there’s no guarantee he’ll take it. The actor very much marches to the beat of his own drum and has eschewed big studio pics in recent years for more character-focused fare like The Master and Her. That being said, he’s a bit of an unpredictable guy, so there’s no guarantee he won’t accept Warner Bros.’ offer either. He’s also weighing an offer to star in director Gus Van Sant‘s Sea of Trees, so the actor has a few decisions to make. Whatever happens, it’s clear that the studio wants a very prestigious name in the role.

What say you, dear readers? Would Joaquin Phoenix be a good fit for Lex Luthor? If he passes, which other actor along the lines of Phoenix do you think should play the part? Sound off in the comments below.