Nicholas Hoult Reveals Why His Lex Luthor Hates Superman: It Sounds Suspiciously Similar to Zack Snyder’s DCEU Version
- Nicholas Hoult reveals the reason of his version of Lex Luthor hating Superman.
- The actor praised James Gunn for his vision and writing of the characters.
- Fans were reminded of Zack Snyder's Lex Luthor.
Directed by James Gunn, DC Studios’ highly awaited superhero movie Superman starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Isabela Merced, and more is getting close to its release. The movie is the first film in Gunn and Peter Safran’s led DC Universe and a soft reboot of the Superman film series. Superman is going to explore the superhero’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human family.
The audience did not immediately accept David Corenswet as Superman, but eventually, people accepted him as the new superhero replacing Henry Cavill. However, the audience appreciated Corenswet’s dedication to portraying the character after the first trailer was released. It broke several records and quickly became one of the most anticipated movies, but when talking about superheroes, one cannot forget his greatest rival, Lex Luthor. Nicholas Hoult recently talked about playing Superman’s rival on-screen.
Superman star Nicholas Hoult reveals why his Lex Luthor hates Superman
Actor Nicholas Hoult is deemed the main villain in James Gunn’s Superman, as he plays Lex Luthor in the movie. The actor recently appeared at a panel at MEGACON Orlando 2025, where he was asked about his character’s philosophical objections to Superman. David Corenswet plays Superman in the upcoming movie, and its trailer managed to break several records.
Nicholas Hoult said (via ScreenRant),
If someone had ultimate power and the ability to do anything, then what happens when he doesn’t align with everyone’s belief of what is right?
The Direct reported that Luthor sees Superman not as a beacon of hope but as stagnation and believes that his arrival on Earth degrades human achievement as it convinces the masses to depend upon him too much. The reason why Luthor objects to Superman’s existence is because he believes that he’s the one to lead humanity to a better tomorrow.
Hoult described his version of Lex Luthor as ‘smart and ruthless,’ explaining that he has to outmaneuver Superman on certain levels because he can’t match him in others. The actor added that there is something about his Lex Luthor that even if one doesn’t agree with his process, they’ll be able to understand him on some level.
Gunn also shared that Luthor already hates Kal-El; both of them do not know each other personally. In another interview (via CBR), Hoult added that it was fun to create a back story for Luthor, with James Gunn adding that he pushed the actor in exciting ways.
Fans are reminded of Zack Snyder’s Lex Luthor
Actor Jesse Eisenberg played Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder’s DCEU first in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and later in Justice League’s post-credits scene. In an interview with EW, Zack Snyder shared about Eisenberg’s version of Luthor and mentioned
Our Lex is disarming, and he’s not fake. He says what he believes, and he says what’s on his mind. If you can unravel the string and decipher what he means, it’s all there.
Eisenberg’s Luthor also hated Superman because he believed that he was a danger to natural human progression and evolution. The villain views himself as the peak of the human condition and believes that the rest of humanity should strive to be. Critics found Eisenberg’s portrayal unhinged.
Fans took to social media to share their reaction to Gunn’s Lex Luthor being very similar to Snyder’s Luthor. One of the users shared Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor and wrote, ‘Wait, I’ve seen this before.’ Another one mentioned, ‘Batman vs. Superman is so iconic that the DCU wants to be it.’
Some fans defended the story by stating that the character of Lex Luthor existed before Zack Snyder created one for the big screen. But fans are hoping since Superman’s story is taking a different route for the upcoming movie, Luthor’s character could take a different direction yet stick to the core of the character.
Nicholas Hoult had shared at the panel that he would like to reprise his role as Lex Luthor in a future DCU installment. He added that he has so much he wants to do with the character and hopes he gets to play him again. He also revealed that he first became familiar with Superman in 2001’s series Smallville.
Superman is scheduled for a July 11, 2025 release.
