Nicholas Hoult To Play Lex Luthor In Superman Legacy, Aiming To Be A Villain You'll "Never Forget"

The rumors were right--Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor in the upcoming superhero movie Superman Legacy from director James Gunn.

Posting on Instagram, Gunn confirmed the news, which followed weeks of speculation. Gunn said, "Although we were discussing it, it wasn't final until a couple days ago..." Gunn shared a photo of himself and Hoult, going on to say he and Hoult recently had dinner and discussed what they can do to "create a Lex that will be different from anything you've seen before and will never forget."

Hoult, who also starred in the X-Men series as Hank/Beast, joins a cast that includes David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Gunn is writing and directing.

Hoult was reportedly also in the mix to play Superman himself before Corenswet ultimately won out. Other actors who have played Lex Luthor over the years have included Jesse Eisenberg, Kevin Spacey, and Giancarlo Esposito, among others.

Not very much is known about the plot of Superman Legacy. However, we do know the film releases on July 11, 2025.

The next big DC movie is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which releases in theaters later this month. Looking to 2024, one of DC's biggest films is the Joker sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.