While Nicholas Hoult was initially said to be among those in the running to play Superman: Legacy's Man of Tomorrow, it's since been confirmed that the British actor will instead play Lex Luthor.
The villain has been centre stage in the vast majority of live-action Superman projects, including Superman: The Movie, Superman Returns, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Smallville, and Superman & Lois. With that in mind, it's strange to see James Gunn revisit such a familiar big bad, though rumours continue to swirl that Brainiac is the reboot's true villain.
We expect the filmmaker to put a new spin on Lex, though he has already confirmed that this iteration will be bald.
According to CBR, Gunn recently shared the following piece of fan art on his Instagram Stories, and while this isn't official artwork, it may well be indicative of how Luthor will look when he returns to the big screen in Superman: Legacy.
The DC Studios co-CEO was recently asked why he didn't cast his longtime friend Michael Rosenbaum, Smallville's Lex Luthor, in this movie. "I love Michael," Gunn responded, "he was my favorite Lex and he’s one of my very close friends. But I wanted a Lex who was contemporaries with Superman."
How would you feel about seeing this version of Lex in Gunn's upcoming Superman reboot?
Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.
David Corenswet is playing the Man of Steel, while Rachel Brosnahan has been tapped to star as Lois Lane. Other recent casting additions include Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Kurt Russell no longer appears to be in the running for Jor-El and there's no word on Ma and Pa Kent or whether they're even alive in this iteration of Clark Kent's story. Brainiac, meanwhile, is expected to serve as the reboot's big bad. With production set to begin early next year, we're hoping the final few cast members will be revealed as we move into the New Year.
Superman: Legacy is currently set to be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.