Nicholas Hoult discussed the pivotal step he took in the pursuit of his role in James Gunn’s Superman project, shedding light on how his initiative led to a significant opportunity. Notably, Hoult’s Nicholas Hoult Superman audition came about after he contacted James Gunn directly with a message that expressed his interest in participating, and this effort ultimately positioned him to play Lex Luthor.
In the book Superman: The Art and Making of the Film, Hoult revealed that he initiated the process by sending Gunn a private message. He shared,
“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.’”
— Nicholas Hoult, Actor. This bold action set the stage for his entry into the audition process, where he first sought the role of Superman and participated in tryouts that involved donning the iconic suit during early test phases.
Behind the Casting Process for Superman
The book details that Hoult made contact before James Gunn’s casting choices were finalized. At that point, the production was still focused on shaping the film’s direction, including the conceptualization of costumes, script development, and preparing visual material for David Corenswet’s Superman and other central characters. Hoult’s timing allowed him to be considered while critical creative decisions were still being made, reinforcing his proactive involvement.
Hoult explained his motivation for attending the auditions, stating,
“see what it’s like to work with James. I want to try on the Superman suit.”
— Nicholas Hoult, Actor. Despite his initial pursuit of the Superman role, Gunn ultimately offered Hoult the part of Lex Luthor after observing his audition. Hoult recounted the moment he received the news:
“He was like, ‘How would you feel about playing Lex Luthor?’ I cackled. I did, I evilly cackled down the phone to him.”
— Nicholas Hoult, Actor.
Reflecting on his experience with the script, Hoult shared,
“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.’”
— Nicholas Hoult, Actor. The book underscores that Gunn’s decision to shift Hoult from Superman auditions to Lex Luthor was based on recognizing a better alignment of Hoult’s talents with the villainous character. The narrative also confirms that Hoult will appear alongside David Corenswet’s Superman and is already set to reprise his role in the upcoming sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Significance of Hoult’s Unconventional Audition Path
Nicholas Hoult’s journey emphasizes the impact of direct communication and proactivity in Hollywood’s competitive environment. By taking the unusual step of messaging James Gunn, he was able to access opportunities that might have otherwise been unavailable. The developments, as first reported by Vritti Johar for SuperHeroHype, indicate that Hoult’s portrayal of Lex Luthor will shape the evolving landscape of the Superman franchise in both the current film and its anticipated sequel.
