It was recently announced that James Gunn's superhero movie Superman: Legacy will star David Corenswet as Clark Kent, aka Superman. Rachel Brosnahan has also been cast as Lois Lane, and casting for other main characters in the film is currently underway. Before these recent castings were announced, it was reported that Renfield star Nicholas Hoult had been among the other actors also testing for the role of Superman.
While Hoult didn't land the role of Clark Kent, it's still a possibility he could be cast in the film. There have also been rumors that he was originally up for Lex Luthor before he started testing for Superman. While there are other rumored names said to be up for that part, it seems possible that Hoult could potentially be cast as Lex. With that in mind, clements.ink on Instagram has crafted some new digital artwork imagining what the actor might look like as the supervillain.
You can see the post below.
Several actors have played Lex Luthor in live-action in previous films. Gene Hackman took on the role in the Superman films starring Christopher Reeve, while Kevin Spacey played a new incarnation in Superman Returns opposite Brandon Routh. In the Snyderverse with Henry Cavill's Superman, Jesse Eisenberg played Lex. On the small screen, Michael Rosenbaum has been named by James Gunn as the "best Lex," while other actors to play the role more recently include Jon Cryer (Supergirl), Titus Welliver (Titans), and Michael Cudlitz (Superman & Lois).
Nicholas Hoult Can't Catch a Break With DC Superhero Movies
DC Comics
Hoult previously spoke about how he also tested for the role of Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves' The Batman, a part that ultimately went to Robert Pattinson. While it was obviously a bummer to have missed out on the iconic role, Hoult later realized it was for the best when he saw how The Batman turned out.
"I think Matt Reeves' ideas were fantastic and he made a brilliant movie," Hoult said, via GQ. "And I also think that Rob [Pattinson] did an amazing job with the character, and I loved seeing him in it. So I don’t think I would have done as good a job as him ultimately. I don’t think I could have fit as well into the world that Matt created as Rob did."
Of course, Hoult does have experience in Marvel superhero films, having played Beast in Fox's X-Men movies. More recently, he was the titular star of Renfield, a horror comedy co-starring Nicolas Cage as Dracula. Heh as other big roles in the works, as he's currently filming Juror No. 2, a movie that's been billed as the final film from director Clint Eastwood. He will also provide the voice of Jon Arbuckle in an animated Garfield reboot and has a main role in a remake of Nosferatu.
Time will tell if Hoult lands a role in Superman: Legacy, but that film is expected to be released in 2025.