In an unexpected twist of casting fate, Nicholas Hoult has revealed that while he initially auditioned for the role of Clark Kent in James Gunn’s highly anticipated “Superman” film, he ultimately found his perfect match as the iconic villain Lex Luthor.
From Hero to Villain
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 35-year-old “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Nosferatu” star shared that during his first script reading, he felt a surprising connection to Superman’s nemesis.
“There was a tiny little inkling voice inside of me,” Hoult told EW. “I was like, ‘Maybe you could do a good job with the Lex stuff.'” However, he initially pushed those thoughts aside to focus on his Superman audition.
Interestingly, Hoult had a premonition about not landing the Superman role when he spotted fellow actor David Corenswet during auditions at the Warner Bros. lot. Hoult recalled seeing Corenswet sitting in “the one bright spot” of an otherwise shaded area, “just like Superman does to charge up, to get his powers back.”
“I looked at him and I was like, ‘Wow! That’s Superman,'” Hoult admitted. His instinct proved correct when Corenswet was ultimately cast as the Man of Steel.
Embracing Luthor
When director James Gunn later offered him the role of Lex Luthor instead, Hoult’s reaction was telling: “I kind of let out what I would describe as an evil cackle,” he said, realizing his initial instinct about being better suited for the villain had been right all along.
Hoult emphasized his approach to making Luthor “a real, credible threat” to Superman. “Superman’s so powerful and unstoppable in many ways that you need to have a character that feels like, ‘Okay, how is this person dangerous? How could this person potentially win and come out on top?'”
Unlike previous screen iterations played by Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, or Jesse Eisenberg, Hoult notes that his Luthor “already got his end goal in sight” from his first appearance in the film.
A Modern Villain for Modern Times
Gunn described his vision for Luthor as “a sorcerer of science,” which resonated with Hoult. The actor explained that Luthor’s technological prowess is “beyond those things that we can imagine,” making his scientific capabilities seem almost magical.
While avoiding direct comparisons to specific individuals, Hoult acknowledged that he drew inspiration from modern tech billionaires for his portrayal. “It was an amalgamation of lots of different things,” he clarified, “but, yes, it would’ve been foolish of me not to explore that [image] a little bit because of Lex in this story and what he represents.”
The Bald Transformation
For the iconic bald look, Hoult shaved his head completely—not his first time going hairless for a role, having previously done so for “Mad Max: Fury Road.” This time, however, he let his young son Joaquin handle the initial buzz cut before the film’s hair and makeup team finalized the look.
Hoult saw Luthor’s baldness as symbolic of the character’s focus. “It’s this character who’s so focused on his goals and what he’s trying to achieve; hair would seem frivolous,” he explained. “That would be something that would slow down the progress of what he’s doing.”
The actor humorously added that his young son “got great pleasure out of slapping my head” once the hair was gone.
“Superman” will be in theaters and IMAX nationwide on July 11, 2025, and internationally beginning 9 July 2025, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
