Nicholas Hoult Is Officially Playing Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy, James Gunn Confirms

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Following reports that he was in talks for the role, Nicholas Hoult has officially been tapped to play the Man of Steel’s nemesis, Lex Luthor, in Superman: Legacy.

Director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed that talks with X-Men: First Class and The Menu actor were successful in a post on Instagram that detailed his involvement in the universe reboot film. In short, Gunn can’t wait for audiences to see Hoult take on the role when the film comes to theaters in 2025.

“Yes, finally I can answer, @nicholashoult is Lex Luthor in #SupermanLegacy and I couldn’t be happier,” he said in his 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.”

“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.

For those wondering why Gunn didn’t confirm the news when word of Hoult’s involvement started to make the rounds weeks ago, he said, “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. Anyway, here’s to Lex (and Nicholas!), one of my very favorite characters in the DCU.”

Calling the number-one Superman hater “one of my very favorite characters” in the DC universe is high praise. Unfortunately, we won’t even be able to see a peek at Gunn’s vision for quite some time.

However, we can at least picture who Hoult’s Lex Luthor will stand against thanks to other casting details that have come out. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan will play Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively, with Skyler Gisondo joining as Jimmy Olsen and Sara Sampaio set to appear as Eve Teschmacher. It’s a cast that’s being fleshed out as the days go on, though exact plot details are being kept under wraps for now.

Superman: Legacy speeds to theaters July 11, 2025.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.