DC boss James Gunn has zeroed in on the actor he wants to play the iconic villain Lex Luthor in his much-touted movie ‘Superman: Legacy’. And it is none other than rising British actor, Nicholas Hoult. Hoult’s earlier brush with superhero movies came when he played the mutant Hank McCoy aka Beast in the X-Men series of films, starting with the 2011 film, ‘X-Men: First Class’.
Nicholas Hoult’s casting as Lex Luthor comes on the heels of several other interesting cast choices for DC and James Gunn’s ambitious ‘Superman: Legacy’. David Corenswet as Superman; Emmy-winner Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane; Venezuelan actress María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica aka The Engineer; Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl; Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific; and Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho are the actors already on board Superman: Legacy.
James Gunn sees ‘Superman: Legacy’ as a comeback of sorts for DC’s legacy superheroes, a movie that will revive the dwindling fortunes of the iconic brand. Gunn has written the script for ‘Superman: Legacy’, and will be directing it as well. The movie is slated to release in theatres worldwide on 11th July, 2025.
British actor Nicholas Hoult is an exciting choice to play the iconic DC villain Lex Luthor in ‘Superman: Legacy’. The actor won rave reviews for his turn as the unhinged antagonist Nux in the 2015 blockbuster film, Mad Max: Fury Road. Of course, he will need to drum up not unhinged but a different kind of evil, to portray the brilliant, charismatic, sophisticated antagonist Lex Luthor, who hates Superman with a visceral relish.
Previous noteworthy portrayals of Lex Luthor have been Jesse Eisenberg in Batman v Superman and Justice League (quite commendable); Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns (forgettable); Jon Cryer in Supergirl and Michael Cudlitz in Superman & Lois (both very good); Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville (excellent); and Gene Hackman in Superman, Superman II & Superman IV (legendary level performance).
It remains to be seen how Nicholas Hoult essays the celebrated role of Lex Luthor, and what nuances he brings to his portrayal of the illustrious character in Superman: Legacy.