After a vast amount of rumors circled as to who could be the villain in the highly anticipated 'Batman vs. Superman' movie, Warner Bros. finally made the big reveal today by announcing Jesse Eisenberg of 'The Social Network' fame in the role of iconic Superman nemesis Lex Luthor. But that's not all! Jeremy Irons also joins the cast as the new Alfred, Bruce Wayne's famous butler.

Said director Zack Snyder of both new additions:

Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940.  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.

As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure.  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.

Jeremy Irons Alfred
Jeremy Irons/Alfred Pennyworth
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After Snyder and Kevin Smith revealed during that 'Man of Steel' Blu-ray Q&A that Luthor would be causing trouble for Supes (and conjunctly Batman) in the still unofficially titled 'Batman vs. Superman,' many names were rumored to be in the mix for the role, including 'Breaking Bad' star Bryan Cranston and 'Her' star Joaquin Phoenix.

Jesse Eisenberg now succeeds Kevin Spacey, who portrayed Luthor in the Bryan Singer-directed 'Superman Returns,' while Jeremy Irons steps into the character famously played by Michael Caine in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy. The actors join the already cast Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Diane Lane as Mrs. Kent. Chris Terrio is writing the script from a screenplay by David S. Goyer.

'Batman vs. Superman' was recently moved out of its 2015 release slot and will now hit theaters on May 6, 2016, in order to give the production crew and cast proper time to churn out something great.

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