Superman’s James Gunn Debunks Major Lex Luthor Fan Theory After New Trailer

DC and James Gunn revealed the long awaited second trailer for Superman, and there were a multitude of elements and moments that caught people’s attention. One such moment was during a quick cut to Lex Luthor (played by Nicholas Hoult), and it happened to hit after Lois says “Did you consult with the President” to Clark. That led to a debate about whether that meant that Lex was actually the President in the film, but James Gunn took to Threads to clear things up.

When the question of whether Luthor was President came up on Threads, another fan said it appeared there are no origins in the movie. Gunn then replied to the post, and while he did confirm there are no origins in the movie, he also squashed the Lex theory, writing, “There are no origins but Lex is not President.”

We get several new looks at Lex in the newest trailer, including one particular sequence that takes place in the Fortress of Solitude. Lex and the Engineer are able to invade the Fortress, taking out some of Superman’s robotic allies but getting met head-on by Krypton. Luthor also couldn’t be happier about some of the backlash Superman is receiving in the governmental and political realm, which we learn about in the first few sequences in the trailer.

A Ruthless Lex

Hoult gave fans some context regarding his take on Lex Luthor at a previous Q&A, and he couldn’t be more excited to bring this ruthless version of Lex to this new DC movie universe. “The thing about this Lex, I think that was most exciting to me was being in a James Gunn universe. Like you said, so emotionally raw and powerful, but huge in the scope of the world and what he’s creating,” Hoult said.

[RELATED: 5 Times Lex Luthor Was Actually Right]

“And I think with this Lex, I mean, obviously he’s smart and ruthless and he has to outmaneuver Superman on certain levels because he can’t match him in others,” Hoult said. “But there’s also something about this character, hopefully from my standpoint, where even though you perhaps don’t agree with his process, there’s an element where you can understand on some levels where he’s coming from and why perhaps what he’s pushing as his ideology is perhaps better for humanity.” You can find the official description for Superman below.

“Superman, DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.

The film stars David Corenswet (Twisters, Hollywood) in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (the X-Men movies, Juror #2) as Lex Luthor. The film also stars Edi Gathegi (For All Mankind), Anthony Carrigan (Barry, Gotham), Nathan Fillion (the Guardians of the Galaxy films, The Suicide Squad), Isabela Merced (Alien Romulus), Skyler Gisondo (Licorice Pizza, Booksmart), Sara Sampaio (At Midnight), María Gabriela de Faría (The Moodys), Wendell Pierce (Selma, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), Alan Tudyk (Andor), Pruitt Taylor Vince (Bird Box) and Neva Howell (Greedy People).”

Superman soars into theaters on July 11th.

Are you excited for Hoult’s Lex Luthor? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things DC with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!