Nicholas Hoult, known for starring as the original Henry “Hank” McCoy AKA Beast in Fox’s X‑Men prequels, including X-Men: First Class (2011) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), recently commented on Marvel’s upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. Reports have been circulating within the industry that Hoult may be reprising his role; however, he praised Kelsey Grammer’s return as the mutant Beast, stating “the Beast I saw when I was a kid,” while subtly confirming that he had not been approached to return.

Avengers director duo, the Russo brothers, are once again directing the film, which has been confirmed to bring back several original X-Men cast members—Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique)—intertwining them with the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe ensemble that includes the Fantastic Four and many other characters. Filming began earlier this year in April 2025 at Pinewood Studios, which has hosted franchise films like The Last Jedi (2017) and many James Bond films. Avengers: Doomsday has a scheduled release for December 18, 2026, with its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars, planned for a year later on December 17, 2027.

Meanwhile, Hoult has transitioned to the DC universe as Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman reboot. The film premiered recently in London on July 2, followed by four other major city premieres concluding on July 10 in Beijing. It will debut internationally on July 9, 2025, followed by a US release on July 11. Initially, Hoult auditioned for the role of Superman but recognized that David Corenswet was the stronger fit. Gunn hopes to portray Superman as a symbol of hope and kindness, whose ideals become an act of rebellion by speaking out when something is wrong, while featuring elements like flying dogs and epic space battles. Hoult revealed he drew inspiration from the All‑Star Superman comic (2005–2008) to shape his version of Lex, focusing on both physical and mental strength to make him a credible threat to the hero.

Although Hoult may not return as Beast in Avengers: Doomsday, he has supported Kelsey Grammer’s portrayal. With the broader integration of X‑Men veterans into the MCU, Hoult now steps into his DC persona as the formidable Lex Luthor in the highly anticipated Superman reboot.