Being part of a superhero franchise is an honor for many actors. But nobody would blame Nicholas Hoult if he wanted nothing to do with them anymore after missing out on some of the biggest comic book roles in the business.
Thankfully, Hoult didn’t let all the rejection get to him, as he’s set to play Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy. With him finally landing another comic book role, now is as good a time as any to go over the role he played and the ones he missed out on.
Played: Beast
After Kelsey Grammer donned the blue makeup in X-Men: The Last Stand, it was difficult to see anyone else bringing Dr. Hank McCoy to life. However, Nicholas Hoult did his best to step into Grammer’s hairy shoes and make Beast his own, starting in 2011’s X-Men: First Class.
Over four movies, Hoult explored many different sides of the iconic X-Man, including a darker one when he joined Magneto in trying to take down Jean Grey after the death of Mystique in Dark Phoenix. Hoult brought a nuance to Beast that made him a standout in a pretty lackluster series, and that’s likely why he was considered for such massive roles down the line.
Missed Out On: Batman
When Matt Reeves decided to take his Dark Knight away from the DC Extended Universe, he needed to bring on an actor who was capable of bringing out the intellectual side of Batman. Actors with impressive resumes, like Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Armie Hammer, were on the shortlist, but Nicholas Hoult and Robert Pattinson were reportedly the final two.
Of course, with Hoult being a nice guy, he sang Reeves and Pattinson’s praises after The Batman came out. “I think Matt Reeves’ ideas were fantastic and he made a brilliant movie,” Hoult said. And I also think that Rob [Pattinson] did an amazing job with the character, and I loved seeing him in it. So I don’t think I would have done as good a job as him ultimately. I don’t think I could have fit as well into the world that Matt created as Rob did.” That wouldn’t be Hoult’s last chance at playing a major DC character, though.
Missed Out On (?): Superman
Depending on who you believe on the Internet, Hoult was reportedly up for the role of Superman in James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot. When casting for the role was nearing its conclusion, Deadline reported that Hoult was one of three actors testing for the role of Clark Kent.
Of course, David Corenswet landed the part, but Hoult has proven in the past that he has the chops to play a figure like the Big Blue Boy Scout, However, the role he actually got in Superman: Legacy may still take the actor to new heights.
Set to Play: Lex Luthor
Whether he was up for Superman or not, Hoult is now going to play the hero’s archenemy, Lex Luthor. In what will be the character’s first live-action appearance on the big screen since Jesse Eisenberg in Justice League, Hoult will have to bring his A-game if he wants to really leave his mark on the villain.
If Gunn has his way, Nicholas Hoult likely won’t have to worry about landing another major comic book role anytime soon. In fact, with Superman: Legacy being the DCU’s true jumping-off point, it’s clear that there are big plans for both Luthor and the actor playing him. The sting of losing out on those bigger roles probably won’t go away, but at least Hoult will be able to enact some sweet, sweet revenge on the heroes of the DCU.
