British actor Nicholas Hoult has been slated to play the infamous Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s upcoming superhero feature Superman: Legacy. Warner Bros. pushed for Lex’s casting after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended earlier this month.

Even though they haven’t made an official comment regarding Hoult’s casting, the studio had clarified that they wanted to cast a valuable star for their newest Superman film. Earlier this year, Gunn brought on board two relative newcomers as Superman and Lois Lane: David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. Due to a mix of this and the fact that they already had Hoult on contract from his involvement in Clint Eastwood’s crime drama Juror No. 2, Warner Bros encouraged Gunn to allow the actor to play Lex.

Gunn had been working on the film since before the strike began. He cast Corenwest and Brosnahan after months of audition tapes and in-person screen tests. Gunn even worked on the film during the strike, mainly focusing on the necessary prep work.

Gunn and DC producer Peter Safran had announced the film earlier in the year when they explained their new slate for DC movies. According to their presentation, Superman: Legacy will be the film that will help launch their new franchisal direction.

Superman: Legacy is scheduled to be released worldwide on July 11, 2025.