Justice League may completely cut one of DC Comics’ classic villains

Justice League is all about getting the DC Comics band back together for one epic showdown, but it seems that one very familiar face may not wind up in the movie at all. A test screening for the first cut of superhero movie apparently does not have any scenes of Lex Luthor. 

Actor Jesse Eisenberg took a bald-headed turn as the iconic villain in the not-so-iconic Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and he did at least do some work on Justice League. But Batman News claimed to have spoken to some fans who attended the early screening, and reported that none of Eisenberg’s scenes wound up in the version of the movie shown.

Justice League has had a rough go of it, with original director Zack Snyder and producer Deborah Snyder leaving the project in May after a family tragedy. Even though nobody would question the geek chops of replacement director Joss Whedon, that’s still a big hurdle for any movie’s development. There have been rumors that the movie is also seeing more reshoots than expected. That’s not necessarily a bad sign or even a surprise, but just another challenge in the creation of a mega blockbuster movie of this scale. In fact, it’s also possible that Whedon could still make changes to the movie before its November release date, so Lex could wind up back in the mix after all.

In any case, Eisenberg’s likely absence doesn’t mean Justice League is lacking in star power. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot will all be back reprising their takes on Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Other cast members include J.K. Simmons, Willem Defoe, and the ever-smoldering Jason Momoa.