Our new Lex Luthor has tempted the rage of the adoring masses, as he has compared his Comic-Con experience to ‘genocide’.
After gaining huge roles in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and American Ultra, Eisenberg was hot property at this year San Diego event and seemingly struggled with the attention. Speaking in remarkably Luthor-ian tones, the Social Network actor said: “It is like being screamed at by thousands of people. I don’t know what the experience is throughout history, probably some kind of genocide. I can’t think of anything that’s equivalent”.
Eisenberg, speaking at the premiere of End of the Tour, his upcoming feature with Jason Segal, did not seem to have enjoyed his time, or the journalists he had to speak to. He continued to say that: “I have never been on the other side, on your side of journalism. I have normally been the victim”. It is hard to sympathise with Eisenberg after using such vocabulary as calling himself a “victim” whilst the world is full of victims of more severe incidents.
Eisenberg will play the journalist David Lipsky in End of the Tour and also spoke of his experience talking to the man. He said: “He taught me how to interview and what his process is like and now I understand the pariahs that you guys are.” However, this may not be enough to win back the favour of all those who attended and interviewed him at SDCC.
UPDATE: After coming in for criticism of the wording of his comments, Eisenberg has now “clarified” / elaborated on them to the AP, stating that: “[I] of course was using hyperbole to describe the sensory overload I experienced. I do sometimes employ that. I’m a normal person who has normal sensory experiences, so Comic-Con was very overwhelming for me. That people are excited about it in that way is unheard of and thrilling … I’ve been on the receiving end of movies that no one loves and no one anticipates. That’s worse, even though it’s a much quieter press tour.”
https://youtu.be/rTcdL3-dh2c?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published July 14, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
