According to reports, the Nicholas Hoult will play Superman’s nemesis in James Gunn’s planned live action DCU debut, Superman: Legacy.
It’s been heavily rumoured for some time, but despite there still being no official confirmation, Deadline is feeling confident enough to state that Nicholas Hoult has won the part of Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman: Legacy.
Hoult joins a pretty stacked cast that includes David Corenswet as the Man of Steel and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, along with Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Maria Gabriela de Faria as The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
James Gunn himself has yet to confirm the casting but he hasn’t yet publicly debunked it, which seems to be his usual modus operandi when an incorrect rumour picks up steam.
Hoult joins some pretty stellar names to have played the villainous Luthor, not least Gene Hackman who famously portrayed the character in several films throughout the late 1970s and 80s.
It certainly seems like a good fit to us although we’ll have to wait some time before we see Hoult in the role. The film isn’t set to release until July 11th 2025, marking the live action dawn of James Gunn’s DC Universe.
In the meantime, Hoult will be appearing in Juror #2, Clint Eastwood’s final film, not to mention collaborating with Justin Kurzel on the crime thriller, The Order. He also has a role in Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu, set for release next year.
That’s quite the line up of projects and let’s hope that Hoult can cap them with a take on Luthor that rivals some of the best villainous performances we’ve seen when it comes to comic book movies. The character certainly deserves it and Hoult is more than capable. Fingers crossed for something special then and we’ll bring you more on Superman: Legacy as we hear it.
