SUPERMAN Star Nicholas Hoult Breaks Silence On Losing Lead Role In THE BATMAN To Robert Pattinson

SUPERMAN Star Nicholas Hoult Breaks Silence On Losing Lead Role In THE BATMAN To Robert Pattinson

Superman star Nicholas Hoult narrowly missed out on the role of Bruce Wayne to Robert Pattinson in The Batman and reflects on that and his decision to eventually join James Gunn's DCU. Check it out...

By JoshWilding - Nov 07, 2024 02:11 PM EST
Filed Under: The Batman

It's no secret that X-Men: Days of Future Past star Nicholas Hoult made it down to the final two for The Batman, only to ultimately lose the role of Bruce Wayne to Robert Pattinson. 

Don't feel too sorry for him, though, as it wasn't long until the British actor landed a lead role in Superman - and the wider DCU, we'd imagine - as Lex Luthor. 

Talking to Josh Horowitz, Hoult reflected on missing out on playing the Caped Crusader and admitted it wasn't easy to come that close to a dream role, only to miss out at the very last minute. 

"Yeah, of course, it is an emotional blow because your imagination doesn't know! [Laughs] You're aware on a practical level," he explains. "You're like, 'I know that I'm auditioning against Rob,' and Rob's fantastic in that movie."

"I think that was the right decision but also, you get excited about the prospect - Matt's a fantastic director, and the script and everything I was like, 'This is going to be a cool movie. I want to be part of it, and a brilliant character.'"

He adds, "So then there's obviously a weird period before you can get to the acceptance and see the movie and be like, 'Oh yeah that works, that was the right choice.' You have to go through the period of like, 'Oh what could I have done differently?' You run through all those things, obviously."

The Juror #2 star would go on to say that, as well as the emotional toll of losing out on the role, the fact the process was made so public presented another challenge altogether (then there was the small matter of Pattinson becoming the clear favourite before he'd even auditioned).

"Most people day today don't care about this stuff, but it feels weird then because you're like 'Oh...' and it's one thing to have your failures, it's one another thing to have them publicly broadcast, seemingly to everyone. It adds an element of drama to it, I suppose," Hoult acknowledges.

"I remembered a week before we did The Batman test, I was driving in my car, and I had the radio on, and they were like and they were talking on the radio about how Rob was going to be the new Batman and I was like, 'Well, it's not confirmed yet.' I was like, 'I'm auditioning next weekend, give me a chance.'"

In the rest of the interview, Hoult also talks about the moment he realised he'd be a better fit for Luthor than Superman, why Lex Luthor: Man of Steel is the comic that's been most useful to him, and why he didn't hesitate to join Gunn's DCU after missing out on The Batman.

You can watch that (starting at the 28:00 mark) in the player below.

THE BATMAN Star Robert Pattinson Joins The Cast Of Christopher Nolan's Top-Secret Movie
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whatthetruck
whatthetruck - 11/7/2024, 2:48 PM
He's had a good enough career since Skins.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 11/7/2024, 3:00 PM
He has pretty strong range, I think he would've been a good fit for Batman. With that being said, Pattinson won me over with Good Time, and just further impressed me with his Batman and take on a more recluse Bruce Wayne.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/8/2024, 12:16 AM
@ModHaterSLADE - Good Time is so great
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 11/8/2024, 1:42 AM
@McMurdo - True that.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 11/7/2024, 3:03 PM
I hope he gets to be the new jonkler in James MachineGunn Batman El Papacito del NCMEC
TDKRnry88
TDKRnry88 - 11/7/2024, 3:04 PM
I'm glad he's playing Luthor. Not only does he have that "look" like Luthor could have stepped out from the page & into the flesh, but Hoult has the range & charisma to pull it off. I'm excited to see him & I hope we can add him to the Mt. Rushmore of Lex Luthor portrayals (Michael Rosenbaum is definitely on there, as well as Clancy Brown).
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/8/2024, 12:17 AM
@TDKRnry88 - he's gonna nail it
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 11/7/2024, 3:06 PM
Sounds like he could use a good unburdening from what has been.
Super12
Super12 - 11/7/2024, 4:01 PM
@Ryguy88 - Feels so good to be unburdened by what has been.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 11/7/2024, 3:13 PM
He was not a fit for the movie Reeves was making. I can't imagine him at all playing that version of Bruce, delivering the lines he was given.
SATW42
SATW42 - 11/7/2024, 3:42 PM
I just hope they give Bruce a haircut for the next movie.
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 11/7/2024, 4:37 PM
I’m sure he’s cool but.. he’s not leading man material.
folieaturd
folieaturd - 11/7/2024, 8:18 PM
The Batman lead role is so overrated, this isn't the 90's anymore
OgHerManM
OgHerManM - 11/7/2024, 10:03 PM
I never understood the hype for him. Hes a fine actor but hes never stood out in anything to me. Fury Road is like the best thing ive watched him in.
Imprtracr1
Imprtracr1 - 11/8/2024, 10:47 AM
Seems like a nice enough guy and all.. just doesn't have the frame for a superhero like Kal-el or Bruce IMO.
Although admittedly, He gives Adam West vibes.

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