Superman – Legacy: Nicholas Hoult Allegedly Being Eyed for Lex Luthor

Nicholas Hoult may have lost his chance to play Batman to Robert Pattinson, but the Great star is said to be a contender for another fan-favorite DC character.

THR reports that Hoult is said to be eyed to play Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Legacy. So far, the film is still going through its casting process, but if you’ve seen The Great, you’ll know that Hoult has very good potential to play a villain—and one that’s actually interesting to watch.

It’s also interesting to see that Hoult should be considered for the part, since there is also a rumorv going around that Gunn is looking at someone from Guardians of the Galaxy to play the new Luthor. Some think that it could be Michael Rooker, but everyone has been pitching Dave Bautista, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, and even Karen Gillan for the part.

Personally, I’m still trying to get over Henry Cavill not coming back for Superman, but hopefully Gunn manages to bring the right cast together for his reboot of the Man of Steel series; and not just with Superman and Luthor, but with Superman side characters like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Perry White as well.

As for Hoult, I think there’s been enough distance now since his role as Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast from the latter X-Men films. Though he can play a scrawny nerd (like Clark Kent), I think I would be interested in him bringing his own version of Luthor that’s equal parts genius and psychopath.

Superman: Legacy is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.