‘Superman: Legacy’ Finds Lex Luthor in Nicholas Hoult
It feels like with the end of the strike, we’re finally getting all of the major roles in Hollywood that were vacant for upcoming projects, filled. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan are to play Clark and Lois in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy, and now, the final big role has been cast.
According to Deadline, Nicholas Hoult, who was once a contender for the part, removed himself to go for the big prize of Clark Kent, and later put himself back in the race, will be playing Lex Luthor in the upcoming film. According to the trade, the studio always wanted a movie star for the part.
There is a bit of confusion around this at the time, as Deadline reports that he has landed the role, while The Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap are saying he’s in negotiations, with the former saying he’s been even in talks even before the SAG-AFTRA strike hit the industry.
Whatever the case may be, it seems pretty clear he will be playing the character in the film, which is set to film next March. The name of Hoult was thrown into the mix back in that first THR story that spotlighted the first few names eyed by Gunn and Warners, which already included David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. Deadline‘s Justin Kroll then pointed out that Hoult was actually in the running for Superman, which seemed like a strange choice, as he always looked more fit for the Luthor part. And apparently, it was meant to be. Even though he screen-tested for the role of Clark in June, and lost to Corenswet, Gunn and the studio (who are very much in the Nicholas Hoult business) wanted him in the film.
Elsewhere in the DCU, Deadline also reported last week that María Gabriela De Faría will be playing The Engineer in the film, another antagonist. The latest Internet rumor says that neither Luthor nor the Engineer are the main villains of the film, as that role will actually be filled up by Brainiac. Regardless, it seems safe to assume Lex Luthor will be playing a big part in the building DCU.
With the main cast of Superman: Legacy pretty much locked, it’s now only a matter of days before we hear about the official cast for Fantastic Four. Other major projects include the second season of The Last of Us, which has roles like Dina and Jesse to cast (assuming Kaitlyn Dever is indeed going to be Abby), or the next Star Wars film, led by Daisy Ridley.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
