Nicholas Hoult spoke about one of the most talked about parts of his path into James Gunn’s Superman. The actor described how he secured his audition by reaching out to Gunn through a direct message, which set the stage for his casting as Lex Luthor.
Nicholas Hoult talks about securing audition with James Gunn for Superman
Nicholas Hoult said in Superman: The Art and Making of the Film that he secured his Superman audition by directly messaging writer director James Gunn. Hoult explained, “It’s the first time I’ve done this – I slid into James’s DMs and I was like, ‘Hey, excited to see what you’re cooking up over there. If there’s ever anything that I could be, you know, around for, let me know.’” He initially pursued the role of Superman, which led to a formal audition process, including trying on the suit during early testing.
The book states that Hoult reached out before Gunn finalized casting. This happened while the production was still shaping designs and building its character lineup. His early involvement aligned with pre production work that included costume design, script adjustments, and concept art for David Corenswet’s Superman and other characters.
Hoult said he entered auditions wanting to “see what it’s like to work with James. I want to try on the Superman suit.” He tested for the lead role, but Gunn later called to offer him Lex Luthor instead. Hoult recalled, “He was like, ‘How would you feel about playing Lex Luthor?’ I cackled. I did, I evilly cackled down the phone to him.” He added that when he first read the script, “There was a small part of me in my gut or my instinct that went, it was like, ‘I think you might be better and have more fun playing Lex.’”
The book presents his shift from Superman auditions to the role of Lex Luthor as a direct result of Gunn recognizing the fit. It also notes that Hoult appears alongside Corenswet’s Superman in the film. The book confirms he is set to return in the sequel Man of Tomorrow.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on SuperHeroHype.