THE DCU FINDS ITS LEX LUTHOR AS NICHOLAS HOULT IS CAST IN 'SUPERMAN: LEGACY' AS ICONIC SUPES VILLAIN

by Darian Scalamoni

    It's been months of speculation, but we finally have confirmation. According to multiple outlets, Nicholas Hoult, once under consideration for Superman himself is the choice to play the feared villain of Metropolis, Lex Luthor.

    Hoult joins his first comic book movie foray since his portrayal of Beast in Fox's X-Men prequel films making his debut in X-Men: First Class. However, Warner Bros. absolutely adores Hoult and Superman: Legacy director James Gunn has been said to be eyeing a movie star for the antagonist role. Others have reported that Gunn had even talked to Guardians of the Galaxy actor Bradley Cooper about playing Lex, but many have thought especially with Hoult being on-hand to do screen tests alongside the now cast David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan as Clark Kent and Lois Lane respectively, that Hoult had an inside track on the role of Lex Luthor. 

    Superman: Legacy has been one of the most talked about projects in the industry for 2023 despite it having a spot on the calendar for July 11, 2025. We had reported back in June that Corenswet and Brosnahan were Gunn and Peter Safran's choices to lead the newly formed DCU. Hoult was amongst other names that included Phoebe Dynevor, Emma Mackey and Tom Brittany for the major roles. He is far from the only one to portray Lex Luthor on screen as he'll follow in the footsteps of actors such as Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and most recently, Jesse Eisenberg to play the role. 

    The film is already building out its cast with Hoult, Corenswet and Brosnahan forming the titular dynamic that most of the film will be built upon. However, as we've reported over the year, Gunn is working towards creating a lavish world where all super-people reside already as Superman forms into himself. Back in early July, Gunn had cast Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced as DCU's Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl respectively. He then followed that news up with another exciting casting choice bringing in Barry actor Anthony Carrigan to join the film as Metamorpho.

    Hoult is currently filming Clint Eastwood's final film Juror No. 2 alongside Toni Collette. Prior to the SAG-strike, Hoult had wrapped work on Robert Eggers' Nosferatu which he'll star opposite a fantastic ensemble of Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Additionally, he wrapped work on crime drama The Order with Jude Law with both those movies aiming for 2024 releases. 

    What do you guys think of Nicholas Hoult being cast as Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy? Do you like the choice, or would you prefer someone else in the role? Let us know in the comments!