Superman: Legacy's James Gunn Jokes About Shaving Nicholas Hoult's Head for Lex Luthor

Superman: Legacy is scheduled to hit theaters next year, and the film will mark the first entry to the newly rebooted DCU. James Gunn is helming the film with a cast led by David Corenswet as Superman. The film will also see X-Men: First Class and Mad Max: Fury Road star Nicholas Hoult taking on the role of Lex Luthor. The DC villain is typically portrayed as bald, but Gunn has no intention of shaving Hoult's head himself. The director had a hilarious reaction when asked about Hoult's look on Threads.  

"Are you going to shave Nicholas Hoult's head personally?" one fan asked. "No because we don't want him to be know as 'the bloody-headed Lex,'" Gunn joked.

Jesse Eisenberg Gives Nicholas Hoult Lex Luthor Advice:

Lex Luthor has been played by many actors over the years ranging from Gene Hackman to Jesse Eisenberg. Recently, Eisenberg shared some advice for Hoult. During an interview with Variety, Eisenberg said Hoult should not "watch me" in order to form his own take on the iconic character. 

"Whenever you play a role you feel connected to it," Eisenberg explained. "There's no way around it. Any time you do anything, even if it's a movie that's a Hollywood kind of thing, you connect."

James Gunn Confirms Nicholas Hoult's Casting:

"Yes, finally I can answer, @nicholashoult is Lex Luthor in #SupermanLegacy and I couldn't be happier," Gunn wrote on social media back in December. "We went out to dinner last night to celebrate and discuss how we can create a Lex that will be different from anything you've seen before and will never forget. "But, James, we heard this weeks ago, why didn't you tell us it was true?" Because, although we were discussing it, it wasn't final until a couple days ago and I don't want to tell you all something that isn't certain. Anyway, here's to Lex (and Nicholas!), one of my very favorite characters in the DCU. 🙌🧬🔬⚗️"

What Is Superman: Legacy About? 

DC Studios describes Superman: Legacy as the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned. 

In addition to the previously mentioned stars, Superman: Legacy will star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher. 

"It's not an origin story," Peter Safran previously explained to reporters when asked about the film. "It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He has kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."

Gunn previously confirmed Superman: Legacy would be released in theaters on July 11, 2025.