DC Studios’ Peter Safran Talks Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor And The Starting Point Of The DCU's SUPERMAN Reboot

DC Studios’ Peter Safran Talks Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor And The Starting Point Of The DCU's SUPERMAN Reboot

Here's how long the Man of Steel and Lois Lane have been dating in director James Gunn's upcoming cinematic introduction to the DC Universe.

By MarkJulian - Jun 18, 2025 08:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Superman

An interview with DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran appears in all the new DC Comics titles released this week as part of the DC Nation Spotlight series.

In the write-up, Safran discusses how Nicholas Hoult will redefine the role of Lex Luthor for a new generation when Superman hits theaters later this summer.

"He is the Lex Luthor for the next generation, for sure. He is who people will think of when they think of Lex. Nick is an extraordinary actor. He has been doing this since he was five years old. I think he kind of knew Lex was the role of a lifetime for him, and  he embraced it immediately."

Safran also shares details on where the film picks up in terms of Clark's superhero and professional career, as well as his romance with Lois.

"We did not want to do another origin story. When we enter the story, Clark has been a reporter at the Daily Planet for a little while, the early stages of his career. He and Lois Lane have been dating for about three months, so early stages of their relationship. But then we really through the audience into the world of Metropolis, into the DC Universe, a world where metahumans and superheroes and super-villains, and magic and robots all exist...It's kind of like spotting a celebrity- you're like, 'Whoa, that's pretty cool,' not 'What did I just see?'That's the world we enter into. "

Peter Safran DC Nation interview

Superman is set to soar into theaters on July 11, 2025, officially launching James Gunn’s reimagined DC Universe. Originally titled Superman: Legacy, the film is both written and directed by Gunn, and serves as the foundation for the next era of DC storytelling.

Leading the cast is David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Kal-El, stepping into the iconic cape. He’s joined by Rachel Brosnahan as fearless journalist Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as the brilliant and menacing Lex Luthor.

The film also introduces several key DC heroes, with Nathan Fillion as the hot-headed Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as the winged warrior Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi as the genius strategist Mister Terrific.

Additional cast members include Sean Gunn as scheming businessman Maxwell Lord, María Gabriela de Faría as the cybernetically enhanced Angela Spica (aka The Engineer), and Terence Rosemore as Otis. Wendell Pierce will portray Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, while Sara Sampaio takes on the role of Eve Teschmacher.

Anthony Carrigan plays Metamorpho, the shape-shifting Element Man, and Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell appear as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark’s adoptive Earth parents.

Also making her debut is Milly Alcock as Supergirl, who will appear ahead of her own upcoming solo film, Supergirl.

With a packed roster of characters and a fresh creative vision, Superman promises to set the tone for a bold new era of the DC Universe.

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WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 6/18/2025, 8:57 PM
Love seeing Mark Julian articles…
Lem1
Lem1 - 6/18/2025, 8:58 PM
Coolcoolcool 😎
Gambito
Gambito - 6/18/2025, 8:58 PM
Nicholas is top tier casting for Lex, I love that he’s basically the complete luthor-he has the company, he’s a giant genius and schemer and like a lot of comics he allies himself with powerful individuals probably under lies and deception. Plus he might get the battle suit? Greatest luthor of all time!
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 6/18/2025, 8:59 PM
Exactly HOW many other super heroes are in this "solo" Superman movie again? 🤔
epc1122
epc1122 - 6/18/2025, 9:45 PM
@Feralwookiee - this isn’t a solo Superman movie. Seinfeld was the main character but you still had George, Elaine, and Kramer. Everybody loves Raymond, Ray Romano was the lead but you had other characters. In knight rider, kitt was really the main character but you needed characters around the car. This is the start of a universe but i think it’ll be interesting to see Superman with other superpowers characters and Superman probably showing them what it means to be good and hopeful. Instead of being jaded (pure speculation). But to each their own.
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 6/18/2025, 10:18 PM
@Feralwookiee - Three that could never sniff a solo outing.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 6/18/2025, 9:52 PM
Hoult seems great as Lex from the footage we’ve seen so far so can’t wait to see his performance in its entirety.

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Anyway , I’m sure some might disagree but I also like the idea of having an established DCU to an extent where these fantastical elements are all commonplace already.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 6/18/2025, 9:59 PM
Looking forward to Hoult as Lex... he is gonna steal the show for sure
Pictilli
Pictilli - 6/18/2025, 11:25 PM
I love this take on the DCU. Can't wait for July 7th!!!

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