Credit: DC ComicsIn a recent social media post, DC Head Honcho James Gunn revealed his casting for Lex Luthor in the highly-anticipated Superman: Legacy (2025).
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While they’ll surely miss Henry Cavill, DC Comics fans are clearly excited for the newest interpretation of the Man of Steel. Superman: Legacy promises to be completely different from any other Superman film, with David Corenswet as Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as the Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and María Gabriela De Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer.
One character missing from the cast list is Lex Luthor: Superman’s most recognized villain who has been seen in almost every interpretation of the character. He’s memorably been played by Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg, Jon Cryer, and Michael Rosenbaum. And now, James Gunn has officially made his selection for the iconic villain.
James Gunn Confirms Nicholas Hoult as Superman’s Arch-Nemesis
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In a recent post on Instagram, the Peacemaker (2022-present) director and co-CEO of DC Studios James Gunn confirmed a long-standing rumor that actor Nicholas Hoult will be playing Superman’s Arch-Nemesis Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy.
“Yes, finally I can answer, [Nicholas Hoult] is Lex Luthor in [Superman: Legacy], and I couldn’t be happier,” said Gunn.” 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 Suicide Squad (2021) director then responded to all fans who successfully predicted this casting. “‘But, James, we heard this weeks ago, why didn’t you tell us it was true?’ Because, although we were discussing it, it wasn’t final until a couple 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.”
Many fans, including numerous celebrities, were excited to hear the official announcement. Actor and comedian Ben Schwartz commented, “Hoult is as good as they come,” while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) villain Chukwudi Iwuji enthusiastically replied, “Now THAT is genius casting. Can’t wait for this.” Meanwhile, Hoult himself simply replied with a saluting emoji and a green heart.
Who is Nicholas Hoult?
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Nicholas Hoult has been a popular actor ever since his breakthrough performance in About a Boy (2002) at about 13 years old. Since then, he has starred in numerous critically acclaimed and blockbuster films, like A Single Man (2009), X-Men: First Class (2011), Warm Bodies (2013), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), and The Favourite (2018).
Most recently, Hoult has taken on more villainous and egotistical roles, like Peter III in The Great (2020-2023), Tyler in The Menu (2022), and Renfield in Renfield (2023). Needless to say, he has the resume and the talent to make his take on Lex Luthor the greatest of all time.
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