Nicholas Hoult Cast as Lex Luthor in ‘Superman: Legacy’ – IndieWire
The Man of Steel has found his nemesis. According to a report from , Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in the upcoming James Gunn film Superman: Legacy deadline.
IndieWire has reached out to Warner Bros. representatives for comment.
According to Deadline, the casting process for Luthor began after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended on November 9th, with casting on hold since the strike began in July. However, Hoult was previously involved in “Superman: Legacy”; the actor before auditioned for the lead role of Clark Kent during the film’s first screen test. Hoult was one of three actors to make it to the final round of auditions, alongside Tom Brittney and David Corenswet, who was finally cast in the lead role last June, as well as Rachel Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Superman’s lover Lois Fahrbahn.
Lex Luthor, one of the most famous comic book villains of all time, is usually portrayed as the powerful CEO of his private company LexCorp. Envious of Superman’s power and popularity, he uses his brilliant scientific mind to find ways to defeat the beloved superhero. Created in 1940 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character was portrayed by a variety of actors in the film, including Lyle Talbot, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and Jesse Eisenberg.
Gunn, who became president of DC Films after completing his “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy for Marvel Studios, is writing and directing “Superman: Legacy.” The film, which will establish a new DC cinematic universe, focuses on the early years of the famous superhero’s crime-fighting career. In addition to Corenswet, Brosnahan and Hoult, other cast members also include Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion and Anthony Carrigan.
A former child star, Hoult got his first break at the age of 13, appearing alongside Hugh Grant in the family comedy About a Boy. As a teenager, he fronted the first two seasons of the controversial British teen drama Skins in 2007 and 2008. He received a BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2009 for his supporting role in “A Single Man” and played the Marvel Comics character Beast in the 2011 film “X-Men: First Class”. From 2020 to 2023 he played the Russian Emperor Peter III in the Hulu comedy series “The Great,” for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination. Other credits include “Warm Bodies,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Favorite,” “The Menu” and “Renfield.” He will next appear in the films Nosferatu and Juror No. 2” play along.
“Superman: Legacy” hits theaters on July 11, 2025.