Back when there were casting rumors aplenty for the upcoming DC movie Superman: Legacy, Nicholas Hoult was said to be among the finalists for bringing the Man of Steel to life in the James Gunn-written and directed reboot. Ultimately, David Corenswet was selected to play the new Superman, but that doesn’t mean Hoult’s chances of appearing in Legacy died right then and there. Word’s come in that the pieces are moving into place for him to play a key character in the next Superman movie.
According to Deadline, Gunn has selected Hoult to play Lex Luthor, one of Superman’s greatest enemies and frequently considered to be his arch-nemesis. The publication stated that “a movie star was always eyed for the role,” and that Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios wanted to snag its Luthor actor right after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. In its own report, THR clarified that a deal with Hoult isn’t done just yet, but talks had been “in the works” before the strike began.
Assuming all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed, Superman: Legacy will mark Nicholas Hoult’s big return to the superhero movies space since he played Hank McCoy, a.k.a. Beast, in the “First Class”-era X-Men movies from 2011 to 2019. Hoult also has prior ties with Warner Bros. from playing Nux in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. His more recent credits have included The Menu, Renfield and the cancelled Hulu series The Great, and his upcoming movies include the Nosferatu remake, The Order and Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2.
Other actors who’ve played Lex Luthor in live-action over the decades have included Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Rosenbaum, Jon Cryer and Michael Cudlitz. Back in June, it was rumored that brothers Alexander Skarsgård and Bill Skarsgård were also said to be on the shortlist of Luthor actors, but evidently Gunn is set on bringing Hoult aboard for Superman: Legacy. Again though, his involvement doesn’t sound like it’s set in stone just yet, but it could be soon provided some specific arrangements are handled.
News of Nicholas Hoult potentially playing Lex Luthor follows just a few days after it was reported that Deadly Class’ María Gabriela de Faría has been cast as Angela Spica, a.k.a. The Engineer. In the comics, Angela is a member of The Authority, who have their own movie on the DC Universe slate, and it was also mentioned that she’ll be part of a team of villains. As such, it’s entirely possible that Legacy will see The Authority presented in a more antagonistic light before leading their own movie, but then how does Lex Luthor fit into this? Is he affiliated with the team, or is he using their conflict with Superman as a smokescreen to carry out his own agenda?
The good news is that whatever Lex Luthor and/or The Authority have cooking, David Corenswet’s Superman won’t be lacking for allies. Along with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane by his side, the Superman: Legacy cast includes Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho. Although the animated Creature Commandos series will be the first DC Universe project released, James Gunn and his fellow DC Studios head Peter Safran have said they consider Legacy to be the “true beginning” of this new continuity.
Superman: Legacy is reportedly set to begin filming in March 2024 and is still expected to arrive on July 11, 2025. While we wait for more news about its progress, break out your Max subscription to view past Superman or any of the DC movies in order.
