Superman: Legacy: Nicholas Hoult to play Lex Luthor

Nicholas Hoult may not have won the role of Superman, but Deadline reports that he’s set to play iconic villain Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.

When James Gunn began auditioning actors for the role of Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult was one of those who screen-tested. While he obviously didn’t get the role, there were rumblings that he was also being considered for Lex Luthor. I know Nicholas Hoult has pursued plenty of superhero roles in the past, but honestly, I think Lex Luthor is a much better fit for the actor, who thrives with quirkier, darker roles.

David Corenswet (Pearl) will star in Superman: Legacy as Clark Kent alongside Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Ms. Maisel) as Lois Lane. We’ll also see Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) as Guy Gardner, a charismatic and slightly obnoxious member of the Green Lantern Corps; Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Hawkgirl; Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) as Mister Terrific; and Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho. It was also recently announced that María Gabriela de Faría (Deadly Class) would be playing The Engineer, a member of The Authority.

As Lex Luthor, Hoult will be following in the footsteps of Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenberg, who each played the character on the big screen. However, James Gunn might be more inspired by Michael Rosenbaum, as he called the actor’s portrayal of Lex Luthor on Smallville “the best” of them all.

James Gunn will write and direct Superman: Legacy, and he has promised that the tone of the movie will be different from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Co-chair of DC Studios Peter Safran has also teased that Superman: Legacy will not be an origin story and will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.” Superman: Legacy is slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025, which Gunn recently confirmed was still the case.

What do you think of Nicholas Hoult playing Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy? Would you rather see someone else in the role?