Zack Snyder Met With Leonardo DiCaprio For A Huge Superman Villain Role

Throughout his career, Leonardo DiCaprio has starred in some great movies and worked with cinema's most celebrated auteurs. However, the actor has resisted the allure of superhero movies — but it's not from a lack of trying on Hollywood's part. Zack Snyder recently revealed that he had discussions with the Oscar-winning actor about starring in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," saying that it was a productive meeting, even if their talks didn't lead to the pair working together.

Speaking on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, the director recalled approaching the A-list star to play Lex Luthor in the DCEU blockbuster. "Leonardo DiCaprio, I talked to about it... He had a lot of great ideas, actually, just in the meeting. I think in the end he was like, 'Eh, you know, I don't know,'" Snyder said. "But he was really smart about the material and really smart about the character."

Ultimately, Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Superman's iconic nemesis, and the rest is history. In the end, DiCaprio probably made the right decision, as "Batman v Superman" was a critical bomb; however, it's possible that he simply isn't keen on starring in any superhero movies. After all, he's advised other actors to resist the allure of spandex. 

While people have used AI to imagine what Leonardo DiCaprio would look like as Marvel and DC characters, it's unlikely that the actor will suit up for one of these roles any time soon. DiCaprio has openly discussed turning down the chance to play Spider-Man and Anakin Skywalker in the past, suggesting that he's not interested in lending his talents to tentpole superhero movies. But perhaps even more telling is that DiCaprio might also be trying to stop Timothée Chalmanet from joining the Marvel or DC franchises.

"Well, Leonardo DiCaprio said to me, 'No superhero movies, no hard drugs.' Which I thought was very good," Chalmanet told The New York Times. The "Dune" star added that he'd consider a superhero-themed project if the script was up to his standards, but whether DiCaprio shares this mindset remains to be seen.

Of course, DiCaprio won't have trouble finding work, even if he keeps resisting comic book adaptations. The actor is reportedly set to reteam with Martin Scorsese for a Frank Sinatra biopic, a project that will undoubtedly be nominated for some prestigious awards following its release.