Nicholas Hoult Reveals Unusual Path to Lex Luthor Role

LOS ANGELES, CA – Nicholas Hoult recently shared how he landed the role of Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film. The actor revealed that he reached out directly to Gunn via direct message in a bold move that ultimately secured his audition.

In an interview, Hoult said, “It’s the first time I’ve done this – I slid into James’s DMs,” expressing excitement about the opportunity. He initially aimed for the Superman role but transitioned to auditioning for Luthor after engaging with Gunn.

Before Gunn finalized the casting, Hoult pursued the role, exploring character designs and trying on the Superman suit. His early initiative coincided with the film’s pre-production phase, which included costume design and script enhancements.

Hoult told reporters, “I entered auditions wanting to see what it’s like to work with James. I want to try on the Superman suit.” However, after testing for Superman, Gunn surprised him with an offer for Lex Luthor instead. “He was like, ‘How would you feel about playing Lex Luthor?’ I cackled. I did, I evilly cackled down the phone to him,” Hoult recalled.

He explained that upon reading the script, he sensed that he might “be better and have more fun playing Lex.” This pivot to play Luthor highlights Gunn’s vision for the character, as the upcoming film explores the dynamics between Hoult’s Luthor and David Corenswet’s Superman.

More recently, it was confirmed that Hoult is set to reprise his role in the sequel, Man of Tomorrow, scheduled for release on July 9, 2027.