Jesse Eisenberg reveals the all-time "favorite character" he has played in his acting career

Jesse Eisenberg, known for his versatile roles on screen, recently revealed which character stands out as his favorite in his career.

In a conversation with Screen Rant, Eisenberg confirmed that J. Daniel Atlas is his favorite character to play. He said:

"This is my favorite character to play in the world. It’s the confident magician who wears nice clothing. It’s just the opposite of everything I get to do ever."

He will reprise this role in the third Now You See Me film, which is coming on November 14, 2025. Alongside Eisenberg, new characters enter the story, facing off against Rosamund Pike's Veronika Vanderberg, but the reunion of the original Horsemen remains the highlight.

J. Daniel Atlas is a total control freak

Jesse Eisenberg will return in Now You See Me 3 (Image via Summit Entertainment)

Jesse Eisenberg's J. Daniel Atlas is a genius in the Now You See Me films and certainly someone who can outshine anyone, be it his own team or the rivals he is up against. But he is a total control freak, which also comes with a handful of arrogance.

In the first film, during the house meeting, Atlas attempts to boss around Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), his former assistant, who gently reminds him of their past dynamic.

Atlas's position is further highlighted by Woody Harrelson's Merritt McKinney, who, already assessing the situation, greets Atlas with a middle finger rather than a handshake, a humorous moment for viewers.

What's more fun is that McKinney reads his mind and calls him a control freak (not really; it's pretty obvious, and McKinney is the most mature in the group).

The scene works so well because, even though everyone, including Dave Franco's Jack Wilder, briefly outshines him, Atlas ultimately emerges as the group's leader.

Some of Jesse Eisenberg's best roles from his career

Jesse Eisenberg played Columbus in Zombieland. (Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Jesse Eisenberg has range. But it's true what he says: most of the characters he has played are just the opposite of what he portrays in the Now You See Me films.

Among his standout roles, Columbus from Zombieland ranks highly as a shy, timid character. Eisenberg is paired again with Woody Harrelson's zombie-fighting cowboy, Tallahassee, who once more tends to steal the spotlight.

A similar character Jesse Eisenberg recently played was in the Academy Award-nominated A Real Pain, which he also directed and wrote. In it, he played David Kaplan alongside Kieran Culkin's Benji. It's a heartwarming film about two cousins honoring their great-grandmother.

Eisenberg has also portrayed roles with a similar edge to J. Daniel Atlas, such as Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010). He reprised Luthor in 2017's Justice League and the 2021 Zack Snyder cut.