Yes, really.
We're not making this up and, to be honest, it comes as no surprise to anyone. In an interview published earlier today, Jeremy Irons admitted that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's lacklustre reviews were "...deservedly so."
In a typically frank interview, Irons addressed both his own career, his motivations behind his characterisation of Alfred Pennyworth and, yes, the bad reviews. "I mean it took £800 million, so the kicking didn’t matter but it was sort of overstuffed."
He didn't hold back on the script, either. "It was very muddled. I think the next one will be simpler. The script is certainly a lot smaller, it’s more linear," said Irons.
Although Irons is the first of the cast to give voice to his concerns, he's not the only one. It's been heavily rumoured that Ben Affleck was humiliated at the poor reviews Batman v Superman received and, as well as this, was furious with Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara about jumping the gun on Affleck directing the standalone Batman movie.
For his part, Irons has said that he's tied to the fate of Batman and the Justice League, confirming that he'll be back for both films. Affleck, meanwhile, has signed on to produce both Justice League and the eventual Batman movie.
So, thoughts? Well, Irons is an enviable position where he can say pretty much anything he likes about a film he's been on. Whether this'll work against him or not with regards to his future as Alfred is anyone's guess. Both he and Affleck were two of the highlights of Batman v Superman, so it's hard to see how they could jettison him purely for comments like this.
Either way, it's damn refreshing to see an actor be honest about a film they've been in.
Via DM.co.uk