AUSTIN BUTLER FINALLY HAS A RIVAL? Jacob Elordi’s Elvis Has Fans Asking One SHOCKING Question
For Elvis Presley fans, one question seemed almost impossible to answer after the release of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis in 2022: Could anyone ever come close to Austin Butler’s legendary portrayal of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll?
But then Jacob Elordi stepped into the picture—and suddenly, the conversation changed.
Austin Butler’s performance earned enormous critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination, transforming him into one of the most recognizable modern actors associated with Elvis Presley. His performance captured Elvis on stage, his explosive charisma, his relationship with Colonel Tom Parker, and the incredible rise and fall of his public career.
Yet Elordi’s interpretation was never intended to compete with Butler in exactly the same way.
Instead, Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola, takes viewers behind the glamorous image of Elvis and into the private world of his relationship with Priscilla Presley.
And that is where things become fascinating.
The official trailer immediately suggested that Elordi would portray a very different Elvis—more intimate, seductive, controlling, vulnerable, and intensely personal. While Butler spent much of Elvis commanding massive concert stages, Elordi’s Elvis exists largely behind closed doors.
One reviewer even praised Elordi’s body language and vocal performance, suggesting that his physical mannerisms brought him remarkably close to a “dead ringer” for Presley.
That comparison alone was enough to ignite debate among Elvis fans.
Could Jacob Elordi actually give Austin Butler a run for his money?
When Butler was asked during awards season what he thought about Elordi taking on the role, his response was surprisingly gracious.
“I just wish him all the best.”
There was no apparent rivalry—only respect.
But the differences between their performances could not be more dramatic.
In Elvis, Presley’s romantic relationships were largely touched upon briefly as the movie concentrated on his career, his fame, and his complicated relationship with Colonel Parker.
Priscilla goes in the opposite direction.
As one reviewer described it, the film is essentially the exact opposite of Elvis.
Instead of focusing on the superstar everyone saw, Coppola wanted to explore the man Priscilla experienced in private.
And Elordi’s appearance immediately generated conversation.
Dark hair. Heavy eye makeup. A youthful Elvis. A seductive stare.
At one point in the trailer, Elvis encourages Priscilla to dye her hair black and change her appearance. The moment may seem small, but it reveals something much larger about the relationship: Elvis was not simply Priscilla’s boyfriend. He was also becoming an enormous influence over her identity.
That controlling side of Presley’s personality is central to the story.
Coppola has explained that she became interested in casting Elordi after meeting him at a coffee shop in New York. According to her, women in the room immediately noticed him and gravitated toward him.
That instant charisma convinced her.
She imagined that Elvis himself must have possessed a similar magnetic quality.
Interestingly, Elordi also had a strange connection to Butler: the young Australian actor had previously dated model Kaia Gerber, who later became Butler’s girlfriend.
But Elordi insisted that Butler’s 2022 performance did not intimidate him.
Instead, he credited Coppola with helping him overcome his fears and approach the role in his own way.
And there was another crucial difference.
Elordi wasn’t trying to recreate Austin Butler’s Elvis.
He was trying to recreate Priscilla’s Elvis.
That distinction became even more important when the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Priscilla Presley herself was closely involved in the emotional background of the project. Before filming, she spent time with Cailee Spaeny, who portrayed her, offering personal insight into the relationship.
Spaeny later described the experience as daunting but incredibly valuable, saying that Priscilla was generous, kind, and supportive.
Coppola, meanwhile, admitted she was extremely nervous when she finally showed the finished film to Priscilla.
Her biggest fear?
Would Priscilla feel that her life had been treated with respect?
According to Coppola, Priscilla watched the film and reassured her that the filmmakers had done their homework.
That reaction was enormously important to the director.
But not everyone connected to the Presley legacy was happy.
The Elvis Presley estate did not support the production, and Presley music was not permitted to be used in the film.
Reports also claimed that an unnamed Elvis Presley Enterprises official who saw the movie strongly disliked it, criticizing everything from the production design to the depiction of Graceland.
Why such a strong reaction?
Possibly because Priscilla shines a light on a side of Elvis that his fans rarely saw on concert stages.
The charming superstar could also be demanding.
The romantic relationship could also be controlling.
And the man who appeared larger than life to millions of fans could behave very differently behind closed doors.
Much of the story is based on Priscilla’s own account of her relationship with Elvis, including details about how he influenced her appearance, behavior, and development during their years together.
One particularly revealing story claims that when Elvis first met the teenage Priscilla in Germany, he told a friend that she was young enough for him to shape her as he wanted.
Whether audiences viewed that as romantic, troubling, or somewhere in between, it revealed the enormous power imbalance at the center of their relationship.
And this is exactly where Jacob Elordi’s performance becomes so intriguing.
Austin Butler showed us Elvis the icon.
Jacob Elordi showed us Elvis the man behind the icon.
Two actors.
Two completely different approaches.
Two versions of the same legendary figure.
And perhaps that is why comparing them directly may actually be unfair.
Butler had to transform into the performer who electrified audiences around the world.
Elordi had to become the young man who captivated Priscilla and dominated her private world.
Even their productions were dramatically different.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis reportedly carried a budget of around $85 million and eventually earned approximately $288 million worldwide.
Coppola’s Priscilla, meanwhile, was made in just 30 days with a budget of less than $20 million.
Yet despite the enormous difference in scale, Priscilla generated major attention and strong reviews.
So now the question remains:
Who played Elvis better—Austin Butler or Jacob Elordi?
The answer may depend entirely on which Elvis you wanted to see.
If you wanted the electrifying performer, the Vegas superstar, the rebellious young singer, and the cultural icon, Butler delivered a spectacular transformation.
But if you wanted to see the private Elvis—the romantic, complicated, seductive, vulnerable, and controlling man behind the legendary image—Elordi offered something completely different.
And perhaps the most shocking realization is this:
Austin Butler may not have been the final word on playing Elvis Presley after all.
Jacob Elordi didn’t need to copy Butler.
He simply opened another door into Elvis’s life.
And behind that door was a version of the King that audiences had rarely been allowed to see.
The debate is far from over.
Austin Butler gave us Elvis on the stage. Jacob Elordi gave us Elvis behind closed doors.
And for Elvis fans, that difference may be exactly what makes the comparison so irresistible.
