Superman: Legacy Casts X-Men Actor Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor

Nicholas Hoult in X-Men: Apocalypse
Credit: 20th Century Fox

Nicholas Hoult in X-Men: Apocalypse
Credit: 20th Century Fox

As James Gunn and his team are prepping for the filming of Superman: Legacy early next year, we've also been hearing a lot of casting announcements for the first DCU movie including Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and the other heroes that will show up in the film.

One of the roles that fans have been looking forward to hearing casting news for is the villainous Lex Luthor, who is expected to have a pivotal part in the film since he is Superman's most formidable archenemy.

There have been rumors about the well-known actors who are allegedly in talks to potentially play the role in the film although none of them was confirmed.

Now, the search is finally over as Gunn has found the actor who will play the iconic villain in the DCU.

Also Read: James Gunn Debunks Major Superman: Legacy Story Rumor

Superman: Legacy Taps Nicholas Hoult to Play Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor
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Credit: DC Comics

Deadline has confirmed that X-Men and Mad Max: Fury Road star Nicholas Hoult is set to play Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy.

The British actor was reportedly auditioning for Clark Kent when Gunn was casting the role before the actors' strike, but as we all know, he didn't end up getting it as David Corenswet nabbed the coveted part.

Now, it looks like Gunn decided to cast him to play the antagonist instead which is an interesting choice since he is younger than a typical Lex Luthor actor on screen and it is an indication that Clark and Lex are going to be contemporaries when we see them in the film.

This will not be Hoult's first foray into the comic book world since he previously played the younger Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast in the X-Men prequel films.

The Emmy nominee also famously auditioned for Batman in Matt Reeves' The Batman where Robert Pattinson ended up getting cast. Now, he has finally joined the DC family albeit through a villain character.

While we don't know yet whether Lex will be introduced as a full-on villain in the film or not, Hoult is an unexpected choice for some fans given his age but perhaps Gunn has a different take in mind for the character which is why he took a unique route in casting the role.

Superman: Legacy is slated for release in theaters on November 11, 2025.

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