Renfield star Nicholas Hoult is reported to be a favourite to play Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s first DC Universe film Superman: Legacy.
Many eyes are looking at what the new DC Universe will be. Gunn’s first film has a lot of expectations. However, there is a sense of disappointment among fans who were hoping to see Henry Cavill reprise his role as Superman, as he was widely considered to be the ideal choice for the character.
The fact that Superman: Legacy is essentially a reboot of the entire DC Universe renders any film preceding it somewhat inconsequential to watch.
But still, many are wondering who will be playing whom.
David Corenswet (Pearl), Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), Tom Brittney (Grantchester) and Andrew Richardson (A Call to Spy) are said to be in the running to be the next Superman.
As far as Lois Lane is concerned, it’s being reported that the likes of Samara Weaving (Scream VI), Emma Mackey (Sex Education), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) are being considered.
Nicholas Hoult Could Be The Next Lex Luthor
READ MORE: James Gunn Reveals Superman: Legacy Production Start Date
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. reportedly favours Nicolas Hoult as the top contender for the role of Lex Luthor. So far, no other actors are in the running, but then again, nothing has been signed yet. Just a few days ago, we reported that Bradley Cooper passed on taking the role.
Interestingly, Deadline insider Justin Kroll said on Twitter that Hoult is in the running to play Superman, not Luthor.
Hoult is up Superman not Luthor https://t.co/JWz6PDlCBi
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) May 13, 2023
It’s not every day that you see two very reliable sources of entertainment news that contradict each other. Then again, rumours of Hoult playing the Man of Steel in Gunn’s Superman reboot have been around for a while now.
So, it’s possible that Hoult is in the running for both roles. In any case, it seems that the actor is in a good position to be cast in Superman: Legacy regardless of being the hero or the villain, but that still depends on James Gunn.
Hoult has been in the eyes of Warner Bros. since his performance as Nux in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. The actor was also in the running to be The Batman in the Matt Reeves film until Robert Pattinson got the role.
He is not new in the world of comics though. He has played the role of Hank McCoy in the X-Men reboot films in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix.
Nicholas Hoult To Star In Superman: Legacy
Credit: DC Comics
READ MORE: At Least One Of GOTG Vol 3’s Cast Will Be In Superman: Legacy
I see why Warner Bros would like to see Nicholas Hoult in the role of Lex Luthor and possibly even Superman. He is a very recognizable actor, and he is tall at 6 feet 2 inches.
But I do see him as more of a Luthor because he is well known, just like in the Richard Donner films, where the director got renowned actor Gene Hackman. This parallels Bryan Singer’s approach, where he cast the highly famous Kevin Spacey in the same role during a time when Spacey’s popularity was at its peak.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
The last time we saw Lex Luthor in cinemas was played by Jesse Eisenberg in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. His portrayal was controversial because of how jarring it was in contrast to people’s expectations of who Lex Luthor would be. Snyder envisioned Luthor to mirror influential tech personalities like Facebook and Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Superman or Lex Luthor, I am looking forward to seeing Nicholas Hoult. He recently starred in Renfield with Nicolas Cage. He is also the voice of the upcoming Garfield animated movie as Jon Arbuckle. He will be returning to horror in Nosferatu as Thomas Hutter. He is currently filming the crime thriller The Order, which is directed by Justin Kurzel (Assassin’s Creed).
What do you think of Nicholas Hoult being in the running as Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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