Nicholas Hoult Trends as Fans Learn He Lost Superman: Legacy Role

DC fans got a long-awaited piece of news on Tuesday, with confirmation that David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have been cast as the leads of Superman: Legacy. The film, which will be written and directed by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, has been one of the most buzzed-about casting opportunities as of late, with the nerd world incredibly eager to see who is cast in the roles. Recent reports indicated some of the other names who were on Legacy's shortlist for Clark Kent and Lois Lane, with Nicholas Hoult included in the former category. Hoult, who is known for his roles in the X-Men franchise and The Great, reportedly screen tested for the role of Superman earlier this month, but did not ultimately get the part.

The news of Hoult being passed on for Superman surprised fans for multiple reasons, especially because it isn't the first DC role that he lost out on lately. Hoult was in the running to star in the titular role of Matt Reeves' The Batman, getting as far as the screen testing stage, before Robert Pattinson ultimately landed the role. 

"I think Matt Reeves' ideas were fantastic and he made a brilliant movie," Hoult explained back in April of this year. 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. When they tell you for the first time that it's not you, it's painful, but then you have to accept it as normality. I think that's probably a strength of mine as an actor as well. I can accept that they didn't cast me pretty well and when I see the chosen actor doing a great job, and I enjoy it, and it's good, I'm like, 'oh yeah, they made the right choice. They knew what they were doing.' So it's not like I'm sitting there like, 'Oh, I'm not going to watch it now.' It's a good movie and Rob is brilliant in it."

In the time since Corenswet and Brosnahan's casting was announced, some have taken to Twitter to mourn Hoult losing out on the role, with the help of a lot of memes. Keep scrolling to check them out, and share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

What Is Superman: Legacy About?

Per DC Studios, Superman: Legacy tells 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. Superman: Legacy is set to debut exclusively in theaters on July 11, 2025.