The Big Picture
- Nicholas Hoult is confirmed as Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, going up against David Corenswet’s Superman.
- Hoult’s Luthor is described as “different from anything you’ve seen before and will never forget.”
- Along with Hoult and Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer.
Superman: Legacy writer and director James Gunn has confirmed Nicholas Hoult‘s casting as the Man of Steel’s archenemy. Gunn recently shared a post on Instagram where he talked about Hoult’s casting as Lex Luthor for the upcoming film. In the movie, Hoult’s Luthor will go up against a new version of Superman, played by David Corenswet. Superman: Legacy is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2025.
In the post, Gunn shared a photo of himself with Hoult. In the background, images of Superman from different eras can be seen, including the cover for Action Comics #1, where the Man of Steel made his debut in 1938. “Yes, finally I can answer, @nicholashoult is Lex Luthor in #SupermanLegacy and I couldn’t be happier,” Gunn wrote in the post. “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.” Over the years, Lex Luthor has been portrayed differently in various adaptions. Lyle Talbot‘s Luthor in the 1950 movie serial Atom Man vs. Superman was shown as an evil scientist. Gene Hackman‘s Luthor in the Christopher Reeve films was a genius who was obsessed with acquiring real estate. More recent versions of Luthor, including Superman: The Animated Series and the DC Extended Universe have also shown Lex as a successful businessman running LexCorp.
Although Hoult’s casting as the villain was reported in November, Gunn also revealed in the post why he waited to publicly comment on the casting. “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.” Gunn also described Hoult’s upcoming version of Lex as one of his favorite characters in the new DC Universe.
Who Else Has Been Cast In ‘Superman: Legacy’?
Along with Hoult and Corenswet, Superman: Legacy will also star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen will also appear in the film, played by Skyler Gisondo. Luthor won’t be the only villain that Superman will face in the movie as María Gabriela de Faría will play The Engineer. Other heroes from the DC Comics Universe will also appear in the film, including Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan). The upcoming reboot will focus on a younger version of Superman, who is trying to balance his Kryptonian heritage and his human upbringing.
Superman: Legacy is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on July 11, 2025. In the meantime, check out this recent Collider interview with Gunn about his latest superhero movie, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, below:
Superman: Legacy
Follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.
- Release Date
- July 11, 2025
