Following his “genocide” comment about attending the San Diego Comic-Con on Monday, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Jesse Eisenberg says he was simply using a bit of “hyperbole.” He wasn’t necessarily using it well, per se, but that’s how the actor explained away his much-maligned quote on Tuesday morning.
Still on the promotional circuit for his and Jason Segel’s new film The End of the Tour, Eisenberg clarified his comments with the Associated Press:
“I of course was using hyperbole to describe the sensory overload I experienced. I sometimes do employ that,” he said. “I’m a normal person who has normal sensory experiences, so Comic-Con was very overwhelming for me. That said, it was really an honor to be on that end of such jubilation.”
He went on to explain that, while ecstatic about the gargantuan attention the film has enjoyed since its Comic-Con trailer’s debut, he’s not used to it:
“I’ve been on the receiving end of movies that no one loves and no one anticipates. That’s worse, even though it’s a much quieter press tour.”
Segel then referred to the “WWF-style theatrics” of Eisenberg’s villainous role as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman. Though more of a throwaway joke, it kind of proved my equally throwaway theory about Eisenberg’s method acting. I mean, with goofy lines like, “Black and blue. God versus man. Day versus night,” you’d think people wouldn’t be so surprised by a little bad hyperbole.
“They expect me to use hyperbole!” he said. “If I didn’t, I’d be the hero who usually speaks pretty practically.”
Yet this is Comic-Con we’re talking about, and the geeks always need something to point at and mercilessly ridicule online.