The twitterverse is all fired up over the news that Jesse Eisenberg has been cast to play Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder’s sequel to 2012′s Man of Steel.

Eisenberg, best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network and as nerdy Columbus in Zombieland, will join Jeremy Irons who was cast as Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred. They will join Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.

“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940,” Snyder said. “What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

On many levels, the selection of Eisenberg is surprising. Most believed Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston was a shoo-in for the role and some wonder if the 30-year-old actor can pull off the role that is associated with Gene Hackman.

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor in Man Of Steel 2 is either genius casting or completely nuts, i can't decide which! :-\

— Rich Walker (@whiskeyrich) February 1, 2014

"If you were the inventors of Kryptonite, you would've invented Kryptonite."-Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor #perfectjoke

— Bri Mow (@MarkTwainCrying) January 31, 2014

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor? How about Rick James as the Hulk: pic.twitter.com/0gywMWzOuV

— Rick Bakas (@RickBakas) January 31, 2014

Now I see why Ben Affleck is Batman, they need the character weak enough so he can't kill stick shaped Jesse Eisenberg.

— Gil Garcia (@gilgarcia87) January 31, 2014

Asked about the absurd decision to cast Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Zack Snyder said "Keep talking, and it'll be Michael Cera."

— Raul Pudd (@mhargrave) January 31, 2014

FIRST OFFICIAL LOOK AT JESSE EISENBERG AS LEX LUTHOR pic.twitter.com/nFir6cpHir

— Eric Striffler (@EricStriffler) January 31, 2014

Jesse Eisenberg cast as Lex Luthor ? Just when I thought this world made any sense.

— TJ (@tweetmeok) February 1, 2014

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor!? You can breathe easy now Ben Affleck… The internet has found its new target.

— Johanna Fuentes (@jfuentes) January 31, 2014

Oh, sure! Jesse Eisenberg is a perfect choice to play Lex Luthor! HA HA HA HA HA. *weeps loudly into comic books* http://t.co/DaldMaPZ6w

— Benjamin Freed (@brfreed) January 31, 2014

Snyder’s choice of Academy-Award winner Irons as Bruce Wayne’s English butler doesn’t seem to be garnering the same negative attention as the casting of Eisenberg.

“As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure,” Snyder said. “He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

“It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious facade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne,” said Snyder.

http://t.co/gctlUZj1Yw Different vision to what I had for Lex Luthor. But could well be a master stroke. Jeremy Irons as Alfred. Good choice

— Ross Callum Mushet (@RossMushet) February 1, 2014

Although I said I wanted Ian Mckellen as Alfred. Jeremy Irons is a very very sweet choice. #excited #BatmanvsSuperman pic.twitter.com/BI9NTrAtUr

— Curtis Tyler (@CDTyler7) February 1, 2014

Image via Wikimedia