‘He’s not who I would have picked’: ‘Superman’ trailer has everyone saying the same thing about our first look at Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor

The Superman trailer is here and, yeah, sure, it offers our first look at David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in action, but you know what else it does? It reveals Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, too. Ask the Joker or Thanos and they will tell you that any superhero is only as good as their villain, and the bald-headed billionaire is one of the finest in comic book lore. Even so, it’s been a fair few years since a new definitive take on the LexCorp CEO hit screens. Could Hoult be it?

It’s too early to weigh it on that, as the trailer doesn’t give us a proper taste of his portrayal of Lex, only featuring a few shots that allow us a glimpse at how he’ll look in the part. One thing we can say right away is that it looks like James Gunn has written him a more dynamic, action-oriented interpretation of the character, as Hoult’s Luthor is shown waving a gun around. So it seems his Lex will be more willing to get his hands dirty than most.

There’s still a lot of reservation about the Nosferatu star — who auditioned for the role of Superman first — taking on the part, but at least it seems the skepticism is starting to thaw. “He’s not who I would have picked, but I don’t hate it,” reads one bit of faint praise.

Some, at least, are ready for the Hot Lex Summer to come in 2025.

There’s just one problem: Hoult’s gun-toting Lex is leaving people confused. Is this a Superman reboot or a reboot of the Hitman franchise?

Meanwhile, those who are terminally online can only see TikTok comedian Dan Henstschel.

Those who have a “yearning for evil bald young men,” this is your time.

This is an interesting time for our first tease at Hoult’s Lex to drop, seeing as the last cinematic incarnation of the supervillain just opened up about how playing the role has negatively impacted his career. Jesse Eisenberg appeared as Luthor in Batman v Superman, as well as for a cameo in Justice League, and his tic-ridden tech bro portrayal didn’t hit the spot for many fans. If you’re wondering why Eisenberg has been in fewer blockbusters since, he claims that the backlash to his Lex cost him roles.

With multiple acclaimed projects under his belt, Hoult definitely didn’t need the role of Lex so hopefully he won’t come to regret it like Eisenberg has. Gunn has promised that Hoult could be the most comics-accurate take on Luthor we’ve ever had on the big screen, so that should certainly do something to appease the antis. Movie Lex has typically been presented as a broadly comedic character — see Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Eisenberg — so it’s about time we had a version who feels like a real threat to his Kryptonian white whale.

And, if all else fails and the DCU falls flat on its face right out the gate, at least Hoult now knows that he’s a shoe-in for the next Hitman film.