Superman finally has his nemesis Lex Luthor in the DC Universe. Following reports that he was in discussions to play the supervillain, Nicholas Hoult is officially joining the cast of Superman: Legacy.
DC Studios co-CEO and director James Gunn confirms that the actor has signed on for the Superman reboot. In an Instagram post, Gunn shared his excitement for Hoult to be part of the upcoming Superman movie he will be directing.
“Yes, finally I can answer, Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy and I couldn’t be happier,” Gunn wrote. “We went out to dinner last night to celebrate and discuss how we can create a Lex that will be different from anything you’ve seen before and will never forget.”
The director also explained that while Houlth’s involvement in the movie was reported weeks ago, he couldn’t comment on it as the casting was finalized just days ago. “Because, although we were discussing it, it wasn’t final until a couple of days ago and I don’t want to tell you all something that isn’t certain. Anyway, here’s to Lex (and Nicholas!), one of my very favorite characters in the DCU.”
We expect Hoult to play an integral part of the DC Universe moving forward given Gunn’s praise of the character. The role opens up a lot of possibilities for the actor within the cinematic universe given that Luthor is also a primary antagonist for the Justice League and is key to the Brainiac story arc.
Luthor is probably the smartest human in the DC Universe in the known universe. Even without superpowers, he used his intelligence and wealth to create advanced weaponry that allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with Earth’s mightiest superheroes such as Superman and the Justice League. Luthor also developed a warsuit that granted him superhuman strength, flight, and access to an array of Kryptonite-based weapons.
With the casting of Hoult as the main villain, the primary cast of Superman: Legacy is now complete. The actor will be joining David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. The cast also includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.
Jesse Eisenberg previously played the part of the supervillain in the DC Extended Universe and did a masterful job of capturing the essence of the character. It will certainly be interesting to see what Hoult brings to the table as Lex Luthor. Gunn will expectedly have a different take on the character that the movie focuses on Clark Kent’s earlier days as a new reporter for the Daily Planet in Superman: Legacy. We may see a toned-down version of Luthor in the upcoming movie that will gradually develop into the criminal mastermind from the comic books.
Superman: Legacy is flying into theaters on July 11, 2025.
