Jesse Eisenberg Says Lex Luthor Is a "Xenophobe", Wants to Destroy Superman in 'BvS'

Lex Luthor may have been Superman's nemesis since the superhero made his debut in the comic books, however there hasn't been a clear reason why the villain hates Kal-El so much. Now Jesse Eisenberg has offered some insight on why Lex doesn't like Henry Cavill's Man of Steel in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; the DC supervillain is actually suffering from xenophobia!

Eisenberg recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, where he revealed that Lex has an intense dislike for foreigners, outsiders and yes, aliens.

"He is a classic xenophobe," Eisenberg declared. "He's hell-bent on getting this alien destroyed."

In addition to Lex's absolute dislike for the Kryptonian, Eisenberg shared that the villain is carrying a lot of baggage that are not necessarily related to Kal-El.

"I think of the character more as a very emotional man but on behalf of no one else, on behalf of his own emotion," he said, adding that it has more to do with Lex's relationship with Luthor Sr.

"He talks about the abuse he suffered as a child, and in some kind of perverse Freudian parallel, relates Superman's power with his own father's power and in some really dark way confuses the two," Eisenberg explained.

Lex's hatred for Superman is certainly taken to another level in BvS, where the supervillain manages to convince Kal to take on Batman in an epic battle between two good guys. A clip from Batman v Superman shows Lex calling the shots.

"And now, you will fly to him, and you will battle him to the death," he orders Superman before launching into a monologue fit for a grudge match between DC's biggest stars.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is directed by Zack Snyder and will introduce Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne as well as Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. The film hits theaters on March 25.