Nicholas Hoult Joins James Gunn’s DCU to Play Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy
English actor Nicholas Hoult, who rose to fame with his role in the 2002 comedy-drama movie About a Boy, is very well known for his portrayal of mutant Hank McCoy in 2011’s X-Men: First Class, for which he was highly applauded by the critics and the audience. Hoult appeared as Hank McCoy in further installments of the X-Men movies.
The actor had also appeared in the Tom Hardy starrer Mad Max: Fury Road as Nux and describing his character, Hoult shared that he’s very enthusiastic, committed, and affectionate but at the same time kind of clumsy. Hoult went through a physical transformation to appear as a terminally ill slave and was appreciated by the audience for his commitment to the character. Now, according to reports, the actor has landed a major role in James Gunn’s highly-awaited movie. What is it?
Nicholas Hoult in talks to play Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy
James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane is one of the highly awaited movies as it’s going to mark the foundational movie of the DC Universe under the reigns of DC Studios’ new co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Now, according to reports by Deadline, Nicholas Hoult is in talks with the studios to play DC Comics villain, Lex Luthor, in an upcoming movie. Actors including Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenberg have previously portrayed Lex Luthor on-screen. On the small screen, actors including John Shea, Michael Rosenbaum, and Michael Cudlitz have portrayed the character beautifully, impressing the audience. An official announcement from the studios awaits as of now.
It is interesting to know that the English actor was one of the front-runners for the role of Superman before David Corenswet was finalized. Superman: Legacy, written and directed by James Gunn, is going to follow a younger Kal-El as he reconnects with his Kryptonian heritage with his human life as Clark Kent.
James Gunn had previously mentioned that the upcoming movie is going to act as a true foundation of their creative vision for the DC Universe. Gunn had said in a statement via EW,
“Not only is Superman an iconic part of DC lore, he is also a favorite character for comic book readers, viewers of earlier movies and fans around the world. I can’t wait to introduce our version of Superman, who audiences will be able to follow and get to know, through films, movies, animation and gaming.”
Henry Cavill was replaced as Superman in DC.
Also read: Nicholas Hoult’s Girlfriend: Why Did the X-Men Star Breakup With Jennifer Lawrence?
Nicholas Hoult on losing Superman to David Corenswet
The actor who will most probably play the role of villain, Lex Luthor in Corenswet’s Superman: Legacy had auditioned for the part of Superman and was one of the front runners for the role until Corenswet swept it away. The actor who had lost out on the role of Batman as well, which eventually went to Robert Pattinson, said via MovieWeb,
“When they tell you for the first time that it’s not you, it’s painful, but then you have to accept it as normality. I think that’s probably a strength of mine as an actor as well. I accept that they didn’t cast me pretty well and when I see the chosen actor doing a great job, and I enjoy it, and it’s good, I’m like ‘oh yeah, they made the right choice’”.
Hoult added that the casting team knows what they are doing, so he’s not going to be like ‘oh I’m not going to watch it now’. Now, considering the optimism the actor has, it would be very interesting to see him as Lex Luthor, Superman’s arch-nemesis.
Superman: Legacy is scheduled for a release in July 2025.
