Far be it from Lex Luthor to let DC's Trinity of Superheroes hog all the spotlight in the recently released character posters for Batman v Superman. In fact, Jesse Eisenberg's character has taken things a step further, not only appearing in an all-new poster-length image as the shades-wearing billionaire, but also giving an in-character interview with Wired. That's right in line with the movie's particular brand of marketing, like when Lex found himself the subject of a profile by Fortune Magazine.

This new interview is framed as a tech-based one-on-one that finds LexCorp about to launch its new operating system, Lex/OS. What it really aims to achieve is an establishment of Eisenberg's take on the infamous DC supervillain. Much like Ben Affleck's version of Bruce Wayne, Lex finds himself in the aftermath of the partial destruction of Metropolis thanks to Superman battling Zod. Unlike Wayne, Luthor doesn't pivot his wealth and technology into the creation of a shadowy persona that will take on the alien menace mano a mano; instead, he uses his company to develop a "new global paradigm" without the help or hindrance of the government.


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Image via Warner Bros.

Relatedly, here's Eisenberg/Luthor on the subject of the Batman:

RON TROUPE: And what are your thoughts on the Batman? He’s human. Presumably.

 

LEX LUTHOR: Well, he is. In fact, I’d say he’s all too human. Any objective analyst will tell you that his brand of justice, vigilantism, is painfully outmoded, designed to be effective in an age when the law carried billy clubs because crime carried knives. The most dangerous guy on the street worked in the shadows because he was cowardly and superstitious. That’s all you needed to play upon in order to disrupt their operations. You want to clean up the streets? Dress up like the boogeyman, switch on a fog machine and lower your voice.

 

RON TROUPE: When you put it that way, it sounds ridiculous.

 

LEX LUTHOR: It didn’t when the Batman first appeared, but that was a long time ago. This is a new world, Ron, and it’s time to get serious.


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Image via Warne Bros.

When pressed for just how different he is from the vigilante, Lex reverts back to his stance that whatever change he brings about is done in the service of bettering humanity. All well and good, until he talks about previous failed government contracts ... and mentions A.R.G.U.S.:

LEX LUTHOR: Let’s just say I ran into a wall. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail here. Suffice it to say the dangers we’ve been talking about are very real. And they’re not just limited to a couple of alien brawlers able to level tall buildings in a single bout. I’m ready to sit down with whatever task force the government has assembled — in the interest of sharing intelligence and building solutions together. If she… they… Argus… the government, whatever you want to call it, has a real interest in fighting for the future, they ought to work with those of us who are already on the front lines.

Avoiding the question of what A.R.G.U.S. actually is, Lex states his case once more before concluding the interview:

LEX LUTHOR: The new threats facing us are real. And they’re growing. It’s past time for a radical rethink of our rusted-out lines of defense. If I have a philosophy here, it’s this: You don’t solve a multiplication problem with division. Unite, or die. The public and the private sectors have to work together to create the next generation of defense technologies necessary to literally save the world. This is the future, and lone gunmen and caped crusaders aren’t worth the ink it takes to print their name in a footnote.


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Image via Warner Bros.

While you can check out Luthor's latest fashion in the image below, what you might have missed from this chart is the list of DC Comics businesses that are namedropped. Obviously LexCorp reigns at the top of the list, with the equally expected Wayne Industries languishing at the bottom - note that Mr. Wayne has expended quite a bit of money on airplane and exoskeleton technology. Filling in the middle of the R&D budgets from other companies are Kord Industries, Stagg, Queen Industries, and Geschaft Krieg.

Kord Industries, led by scientist and businessman Ted Kord, might be the most-often referenced but little explored commercial entity in adaptations of DC properties. Perhaps that's only because no one has yet figured out a way to bring Kord's alter ego, the superheroic Blue Beetle, to life. Stagg is an R&D firm established by billionaire Simon Stagg, recently appearing on episodes of The CW's Arrow and The Flash. That ties directly into the next entity on the list, Queen Industries, headed up by the Green Arrow himself. (It's amazing just how many billionaires become superheroes/villains in the comics world, isn't it?)

Perhaps the most interesting fictional business noted here is that of the presumed German company Geschaft Krieg, and its US-based firm Sheridan Dynamics. While the latter name might refer to Riko Sheridan (who has masqueraded as Robin and R-iko), the name of Krieg might just be a connection to Cyborg. In Smallville, Dr. Alistair Krieg was responsible for creating the hero when he saved the life of car accident victim, Victor Stone. It's unclear how this will all shake out in the DC Cinematic Universe, but what is becoming very apparent is that Superman and Zod's epic clash has long-lasting effects on the rest of the world that are only just beginning to be explored.


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Image via Warner Bros.

Here’s the official synopsis for Batman v Superman:

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Here's a look at some of our recent coverage of Batman v Superman:


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