The Greatest Criminal Mind of Our Time: Nicholas Hoult IS Lex Luthor

[DCDAVE]

It amazing how much comic accurate Holt looks as a young Lex. I hear the earlier post about Lex being a dark Tony Stark( will be getting that in Doomsday) I think Holt will be a dark version of Bruce Wayne with his tech and minions. In a weird way he will have his trinity (Ultraman/The Engineer) to counteract Superman.

 

[GreenKToo]

Lex should be able to invent anything, or think up a solution to anything on the fly, like a Tony Stark.

 

[Alien Anal]

I suggested months and months ago that I would love for "Man who sold the world" to be played as lex looks out of his building and anger buuuuut penguin took it.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

There's both an intensity and a cartooniness to Hoult that makes him so great for Lex.

Not to mention he looks like a Capullo drawing come to life.

 

[Lily Adler]

Lex should be able to invent anything, or think up a solution to anything on the fly, like a Tony Stark.

If that were true, he would still have hair.

 

[Sverdlovski]

If that were true, he would still have hair.

As the 50s Superman comics show, even in the far away future, baldness still has no cure.

 

[Lily Adler]

As the 50s Superman comics show, even in the far away future, baldness still has no cure.

Mercy: Why bald, Mr. Luthor?

Lex: Baldness scares me. It's time my enemies learn my fear.

 

[Alien Anal]

I think Lex freaking out with the gun will be the scenes that Gunn has said are more so from the end of the film.

 

[Sawyer]

I hate harping on it, but my God… what a glow-up from Eisenberg’s Lex.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

It's amazing how pitch perfect all of the actors look to their roles.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

I hate harping on it, but my God… what a glow-up from Eisenberg’s Lex.

He looks freaking perfect

 

[Scarlet Spider]

I hate harping on it, but my God… what a glow-up from Eisenberg’s Lex.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

That red headed step child doesn't look pleased.

 

[Gu3ree]

Eisenberg was God awful.

That new photo of Nicholas Hoult as Luthor looks great. I noticed something about his eyebrows really matches some animated versions of Lex Luthor I've seen.

 

[Elayis]

I hate harping on it, but my God… what a glow-up from Eisenberg’s Lex.

This is the first image I've seen of Hoult where I can actually see the vision of him as Lex. Even in the trailer he still looks too boyish for my tastes. He doesn't project the same kind of strength and competency that Clancy Brown's had in the animated series.

 

[Gu3ree]

I'm looking forward to Nicholas Hoult as Luthor. I still wish Billy Zane got the chance to play Luthor, since he looks so much like him, particularly the animated series, not to mention sounding a lot like Clancy Brown. And in clips I've seen of Zane acting in various movies and TV where he's bald...he has these mannerisms, that just screams Lex Luthor. I don't know which film or show, but I just remember years ago seeing fan-made Superman trailers compiling various clips from movies or TV series of their favorite choice actors to play Superman, Lois, Lex, Jimmy and so on. The clips were from some of Billy Zane's work. In one of the clips used, Zane was bald, wearing a business suit, using gestures, looking very confident, charismatic and looked full of himself. With some narcissistic vibes. He just looked so perfect. Well...it would have been a dream.

 

[Adrian Chase]

Hoult is on a win streak, such a great year for him!


"The Order", dir. Justin Kurzel


"Nosferatu", dir. Robert Eggers


"Juror #2", dir. Clint Eastwood


"Superman", dir. James Gunn

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

I'm looking forward to Nicholas Hoult as Luthor. I still wish Billy Zane got the chance to play Luthor, since he looks so much like him, particularly the animated series, not to mention sounding a lot like Clancy Brown. And in clips I've seen of Zane acting in various movies and TV where he's bald...he has these mannerisms, that just screams Lex Luthor. I don't know which film or show, but I just remember years ago seeing fan-made Superman trailers compiling various clips from movies or TV series of their favorite choice actors to play Superman, Lois, Lex, Jimmy and so on. The clips were from some of Billy Zane's work. In one of the clips used, Zane was bald, wearing a business suit, using gestures, looking very confident, charismatic and looked full of himself. With some narcissistic vibes. He just looked so perfect. Well...it would have been a dream.

Billy Zane would have made an incredible Lex Luthor- no doubt about it. His career just went off the rails and he never had a chance of playing the role outside of the 90s. But Zane as Lex in the 90s or early 00s would’ve truly been amazing casting.

I think Jim Caviezel as Superman would’ve been great too- another guy whose career went off the rails. But Caviezel IMO is a better actor than Cavill and Routh. Would’ve preferred him for sure to either of those guys.

 

[Gu3ree]

Billy Zane would have made an incredible Lex Luthor- no doubt about it. His career just went off the rails and he never had a chance of playing the role outside of the 90s. But Zane as Lex in the 90s or early 00s would’ve truly been amazing casting.

I think Jim Caviezel as Superman would’ve been great too- another guy whose career went off the rails. But Caviezel IMO is a better actor than Cavill and Routh. Would’ve preferred him for sure to either of those guys.

Agree about Bill Zane. I feel it's almost a crime that Zane was never cast as Luthor. I would have given almost anything just to see him play Lex in some Superman related media even if it didn't mean seeing him in a movie. I didn't care that he is almost 60. Titus Welliver was over 60 years old when he was cast as Luthor in Titans. I thought his Luthor was probably the most accurate portrayal of Luthor (post John Byrne era) to date. Although he was only in one episode, I thought his presence on screen was intimidating. He looked like a businessman that could be dangerous. I've seen him aggressive in other roles and I had no doubt he could have pulled it off. Shame he was only in one episode of Titans. He should have been the main villain of the final season, or at least one of the villains. I admit the long beard was distracting, but overall, I think he could have been a great Luthor.

Not sure if I'm with you on Jim Caviezel. If it were the 90's, he possibly could have been a good Superman. He had noticeable wrinkles around his eyes. That's the only thing that stands out to me. He did have the smile of Superman though.

But to this date, we still haven't had an accurate portrayal of Lex Luthor. I love Gene Hackman (rest in peace) but his Luthor didn't seem that accurate either, but Hackman did bring charisma and charm to the character. He was clever and hilarious with his puns. He was smart as he should be. I always did enjoy the frenemies dynamic between Reeve's Superman and Hackman's Luthor. While I prefer a more serious and intimidating Luthor like the 90's animated series voiced by Clancy Brown, I would still love to see some of that humor Hackman brought to the character, albeit maintaining his intimidating presence and hatred for Superman.

All these years, there were chances to do an accurate portrayal of Lex Luthor on screen, but Bryan Singer refused to use comic books as his source material using the same Lex scheming a real estate plot. Then Snyder comes along, and he uses the CEO version of Lex Luthor for the first time in a Superman movie...but then...my God, Jesse Eisenberg was a complete waste. Those tennis shoes and...every single thing about his presence was annoying. Esienberg's Luthor was anti-everything Luthor should have been. I can't even think of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor to this day. Did he wear tennis shoes in Superman Earth 1? Worst villain of all time. Almost like Heath Ledger's Joker, except without the clown makeup, but a little more in control and powerful by contrast. (sigh)

 

[Sawyer]

Praying we see Lex dress like this at some point…

 

[NotToday]

Notes on Lex from this interview:

'Superman' stars, James Gunn preview robots, 'monster babies,' 'giant kaiju' (exclusive)

'Superman' director James Gunn and stars David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan tease their 'grounded' take with EW at CinemaCon.

ew.com

GUNN: Yeah. [Laughs] The central conflict revolves a lot around Lex Luther's attempts to defeat and destroy Superman. I think Lex Luther thinks of Superman in the way that an artist thinks of A.I. Here's this guy who's this [incredible] genius scientist who's worked his whole life to become one of the richest, most powerful men in the world, and he does it all to be lauded. I mean, he wants to be the greatest, and suddenly this jerk comes in wearing a cape with a lantern jaw and a cocky grin, and he just takes all of the oxygen out of the room, out of the room of Earth, and it creates a burning hatred in the guy.

Nick, can you say anything about what particular business Lex is in and what Luther Corp. is in the film?

HOULT: Tech defense? Defense? Yeah. I can't say exactly more than that, probably, right?
GUNN: I think Lex has invented one of the best forms of battery in the entire world that almost everything runs on. And we don't ever talk about this in the movie, but I think that's where he's made the majority of his money.

HOULT: You described him in one moment as a sorcerer, the level of science, and I like that in terms of just understanding the level of genius he's working with and also the science that's at play in this story and how that evolves and also the recklessness that he plays with. And I think that also plays into the lengths he's willing to go to and the risks he's willing to take for his goal. And then ethically, the question that people start to question, I suppose, even though he presents himself with something very different and controls the narrative in that, as well.

BROSNAHAN: [...] What does Lex lead with?
HOULT: Honestly, I would think of it as him leading with love for humanity in some ways, but then how he displays it...because, obviously, he's egotistical and selfish, but in some ways, it would be a humanist element of the character and God and all these things that he perceives himself to be and protecting their faith.

CORENSWET: This conversation made me see an interesting, weird, strange thing, which may not be true, but Lex is sort of a combination of Superman and Lois, where he has all of Lois' intelligence and foresight and skepticism that allows him to make these incredible advances and control the narrative and the government and all these things that he has control over. But he has Superman's passion for the world and for being a symbol of something, standing for something, and being a public-facing symbol. And maybe the downfall is that Lex has decided what's right between those two and which should win out, whereas Superman and Lois are in a constant battle about what is right, so they each get checked by the other.

 

[Sawyer]

Eager to see Hoult’s Luthor suit up…

 

[Deck Rickard]

Eager to see Hoult’s Luthor suit up…

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I really hope we get this in this movie or another. I feel like we could see Lex suit up in the finale after whatever has him looking and bruised all battered in the trailer.

Though perhaps MORE interesting would be Lex doing something so horrible that it spirals out of his control (maybe unleashing whatever that Solaris-looking thing is in the city) and then he has to suit up to help his arch-enemy defeat it.

 

[NotToday]

The first Lex we can thirst over since Smallville, and no one's talking about this?



For shame!
But seriously, nice job, wardrobe dept!

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

Now we know where he took those 40 cakes.