Nicholas Hoult is playing Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy, confirms James Gunn

Filmmaker James Gunn has confirmed that actor Nicholas Hoult will be essaying the role of Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy.

Gunn, the co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios, shared the news on Threads and also posted with the English actor, who is known for starring in movies such as X-Men franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Favourite and Hulu series The Great.

"Yes, finally I can answer, Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor in Superman Legacy and I couldn’t be happier. We went out to dinner last night to celebrate & discuss how we can create a Lex that will be different from anything you’ve seen before and will never forget. But, James, we heard this weeks ago, why didn't you tell us it was true? Because, although we were discussing it, it wasn't final until a couple of days ago and I don't want to tell you all something that isn't certain," the filmmaker said.

Previously, the role of Luthor has been portrayed by actors Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and Jesse Eisenberg.

Slated for a theatrical release on July 11, 2025, Superman: Legacy, the film also stars Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

Besides direction, James has also written the script of the film. He had earlier clarified that the upcoming film will not trace the origin story of Clark Kent. The film will be the first of the new DC Universe projects announced under James and Peter Safran's leadership and will be a part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.