Nicholas Hoult in talks to star as Lex Luthor in ‘Superman: Legacy’
Sources have suggested that Nicholas Hoult may be set to star as supervillain Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s take on the story of Clark Kent, Superman: Legacy.
According to Deadline, several sources have suggested Hoult’s involvement in the film, noting that the studios wanted to find a more well-known actor following the casting of David Corwnswet and Rachel Brosnahan as Superman and Lois Lane, respectively.
Directed by Gunn and produced by Peter Safran, the upcoming Superman film will focus on Superman as he attempts to marry his humanity with his extraterrestrial roots. Gunn has previously directed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy series as well as DC’s revamped The Suicide Squad.
Lex Luthor has frequently been adapted to screen, with the part previously being taken on by the likes of Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville, and Jesse Eisenberg in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
Hoult seems a fitting choice for the part. The actor is already familiar with the superhero world, having starred as Hank McCoy in the X-Men series, who also made an appearance in Deadpool 2.
More recently, Hoult appeared opposite Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes’ in Mark Mylod’s dark, chef comedy commentary The Menu last year. He also starred in Renfield, Chris McKay’s take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Superman: Legacy is aiming for a summer 2025 release.
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