Los Angeles, Feb 2 (IANS): Actor Jesse Eisenberg will be part of the upcoming "Superman-Batman" movie, a sequel of "Man of Steel".

Directed by Zack Snyder, the movie will see Eisenberg essay Lex Luthor, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

Warner Bros also announced that Jeremy Irons is set to play Alfred in the movie.

Actor-filmmaker Ben Affleck will play Batman, while Henry Cavill reprises his "Man of Steel" role as Superman. Gal Gadot has been cast as Wonder Woman-Diana Prince.

"Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman's rivals, his unsavoury reputation preceding him since 1940. What's great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain," Snyder said in a statement.

"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," he added.