Actor and filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg revealed that winning a Golden Raspberry Award for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder’s 2016 superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice effectively shut him out of major studio movie parts. Speaking candidly during a screen talk at the BFI London Film Festival, Eisenberg explained that the polarizing reception and subsequent Razzie for worst supporting actor fundamentally shifted his career trajectory.
The tongue-in-cheeks Razzies are traditionally handed out the night before the Oscars to mock the cinematic missteps of the year. For Eisenberg, who starred alongside Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill as the iconic DC Comics villain, the accolade carried severe professional consequences in an already fragile industry.
“Listen, a lot of it just came from fear,” Eisenberg told the audience during his festival appearance. “I couldn’t get into movie studio parts anymore because I had won a Raspberry Award from [being in the] ‘Batman’ movie … and I saw the trajectory.”
The Fear of Industry Trajectory and the Pivot to Directing
Describing acting as a perpetual struggle on an unstable treadmill, Eisenberg noted that performers are constantly haunted by whether they are climbing an upslope or sliding down into yesterday’s news. Fearing his career was plateauing in the wrong direction, the Oscar nominee decided to take matters into his own hands by expanding into writing and directing to keep his professional life afloat.
For context, Jesse Eisenberg liked the script for Batman v Superman and called it the most intellectually dense script he’s read, and I also like Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor pic.twitter.com/tKC2xhaF2j
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” which opened globally to a massive $424.1 million box office haul, ultimately collected four Razzie awards in total. Beyond Eisenberg’s worst supporting actor designation, the blockbuster was cited for worst screenplay, worst sequel, and worst screen combo for Cavill and Affleck.
Reflecting on the fallout, Eisenberg stated that his primary takeaway was a clear directive from Hollywood. “The industry tells you what they want from you,” he remarked. “The industry did not want me to be in a superhero movie, and if you’re smart and self-aware, you learn that quickly.”
Directorial Successes and Production Hurdles with Kieran Culkin
While studio doors for blockbuster superhero outings closed, Eisenberg successfully transitioned behind the camera. His sophomore directorial effort, the 2024-released A Real Pain, scored Eisenberg a nod for best screenplay and a best supporting actor win for co-star Kieran Culkin at last year’s Oscars.
Working with Culkin, however, presented its own unpredictable challenges during production in Poland. Eisenberg recalled that producers and cast members were initially uncertain if Culkin would even arrive on set. Emma Stone, who produced the movie, personally escorted Culkin onto a plane to ensure his arrival, sending Eisenberg a video of the actor clearing customs before he ultimately still arrived late.
Culkin, coming off the massive HBO hit Succession, also pushed for a more spontaneous shooting style that forced Eisenberg to adapt on the fly. “We’re like, what’s best for the movie?” Eisenberg recalled of managing the dynamic lead actor. “And I guess what’s best for the movie is probably following this live wire around because that’s the engine of the movie anyway.”
Refusing a Return to Tech Titans and Closing Out the Festival
Despite his reluctance to revisit comic book adaptations, Eisenberg has also distanced himself from another major franchise role. Having earned a best actor Oscar nomination for portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s 2010 drama The Social Network, the actor was naturally eyed for a potential return. However, he remained adamant about declining to participate in the recent companion movie project penned and directed by Aaron Sorkin, noting only that the follow-up project is “quite different.”
Eisenberg’s latest directorial feature, The Debut—starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti—served as the closing night presentation for the BFI London Film Festival.
