Nicholas Hoult will be Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy

Movies

Superman’s arch-enemy has been cast. Deadline exclusively reports that James Gunn has chosen Nicholas Hoult to play Lex Luthor in his upcoming DC film Superman: Legacy. Hoult has long been rumored to be in the running for a role in Gunn’s film; at one point, he was reportedly in contention to play Superman himself. He also popped up as a possible Luthor with Bill and Alexander Skarsgård. Gunn has yet to confirm the casting, but it’s been picked up by all the major industry trades, so we can assume this is a done deal. Hoult is not a stranger to comic book movies, having portrayed Beast in several X-Men films. A few days ago, María Gabriela de Faría was cast as the Engineer, a member of the Authority and a villain in the movie. Superman: Legacy is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.

I’m not big on this. I like Nicholas Hoult in general, but I don’t see him as Lex Luthor. I don’t know if he’s got the right amount of gravitas for that role, and he’s younger than I think Lex should be portrayed. I’d have preferred either of the Skarsgård brothers if those were the choices, although Bill Skarsgård is the same age as Hoult. But who knows? Maybe he’s got a quality Gunn saw that will make a terrific Lex Luthor, and we’re in for a pleasant surprise. However, the Deadline piece makes it seem like this is a studio choice, emphasizing that Hoult is “already in business “ with Warner Bros.; I wonder if this was a concession on Gunn’s part to get his picks for Superman and Lois Lane. Either way, the film is coming together quickly, which isn’t surprising; I’m sure WB wants this one to get going as quickly as possible now that the strikes are over.