Director of Rebel Moon discusses the potential casting of a Batman villain

Lexonardo Luthorio

As part of the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Zack Snyder came to promote the Rebel Moon sequel on Netflixthe director shared fascinating details about the casting of Batman V Superman, notably around the search for the perfect villain for his DC Comics cinematographic universe. Animator, Josh Horowitzasked Snyder about the actors considered for the role of Lex Luthor. Snyder revealed that at one point the names of Tom Hanks and D'Adam Driver were on the table. He added: “I think I spoke to Adam on the phone, yes.”

However, one of the most surprising names on the list of actors being considered was that of Hollywood legend, Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island, The Revenant, Django). Snyder told listeners, “Leonardo DiCaprio, I talked to him about this.” This revelation piqued the interest of fans and film industry observers, as DiCaprio is known for his landmark performances in a variety of genres, but had not previously explored the world of superheroes.

Despite these discussions with A-list actors, Snyder ultimately opted for Jesse Eisenberg to play the fearsome Lex Luthor. This decision was both acclaimed and contested by fans, but Snyder held firm to the end in his artistic vision . He explained his choice by saying:

He actually had a lot of good ideas, just in the meeting. I think in the end he was like, 'Hey, I don't know.' But he was really smart about the material and really smart about the character.”

As a reminder, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice takes place shortly after Man of Steel, released in 2013. In a world where Superman (Henry Cavill) is seen as a god by some and a danger by others, Batman (Ben Affleck) takes the necessary measures to stop him, fearing the unchecked power of the Man of Steel. However, an even greater threat emerges, forcing the two heroes to put aside their differences and join forces to face a common enemy.

Thanks to Leonardo for the Justice League

What is perhaps even more remarkable, it's DiCaprio's contribution to discussions about the character of Superman and the dynamics of the Justice League. Snyder revealed: “

In many ways, I think he's the one who told me about this idea that Superman will face the Justice League at some point.”

This idea obviously gave birth to the scene from the film Justice League, showing Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) confronting a Superman who has lost his senses.

This is not the first time that Leonardo DiCaprio is approached for a role in a superhero film. He was even considered for a role as a supervillain in the Batman trilogy of Christopher Nolanas Riddler.

Rebel Moon – Part 2: The Slasher, Zack Snyder's latest film is currently available on the Netflix SVOD platform.