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

[flickchick85]

If I'm being honest though, I think Billy Zane would have made the perfect Lex Luthor. His looks and charisma just screams Lex Luthor, not to mention his bald head. I feel like it was a huge missed opportunity.

An absolutely terrible actor.

Those lines in the trailer were very obviously chopped together from different scenes/lines. Not worried, Hoult’s a very good actor.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I just can't get over how similar Hoult's Lex feels to the Lex Luthor in Superman/Doomsday, right down to the voice. I don't know if that animated movie was an intentional influence for Gunn, or its just an awesome coincidence.

 

[Gu3ree]

An absolutely terrible actor.

Those lines in the trailer were very obviously chopped together from different scenes/lines. Not worried, Hoult’s a very good actor.

I never thought he was that good of an actor. I didn't think his performance as Marlon Brando was good. If he was given the right direction, maybe he could have pulled off Lex Luthor. He had the right voice and the mannerisms.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

Its interesting that when Richard Donner came onto STM, the script he was handed had a joke cameo written for Telly Savalas. Then later on, Savalas would be a big inspiration for STAS Lex Luthor and the casting of Clancy Brown.

 

[Sawyer]

I just can't get over how similar Hoult's Lex feels to the Lex Luthor in Superman/Doomsday, right down to the voice. I don't know if that animated movie was an intentional influence for Gunn, or its just an awesome coincidence.

You talking about James Marsters’s Lex? I could see it…

Visually, at least.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

If I'm being honest though, I think Billy Zane would have made the perfect Lex Luthor. His looks and charisma just screams Lex Luthor, not to mention his bald head. I feel like it was a huge missed opportunity.

Ahhh I remember the Billy Zane days

 

[DKDetective]

Lex has got that real spurned lover energy.

 

[Sawyer]

 

[Sawyer]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Hugh Grant for Lionel Luthor.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I don't see why we need Lex's parents in these movies.

In Smallville Lionel served a purpose, because it was a prequel series and Lex wasn't the Lex Luthor we know and love yet.

These are supposed to be the mainline Superman movies. I think we should be past that stuff already.

 

[Sawyer]

I don’t think you “need” them, but if Gunn sees story potential there, he’s the one running the show.

Hell, I don’t think any of us could’ve imagined The Penguin’s mom would’ve been such a worthwhile character, but that show proved otherwise. I’m sure there’s potential for the Luthor family.

 

[GreenKToo]

IF this does as well as we hope, and if Lex is a fan favorite like it appears he will be, I won't be a bit surprised if we get either a lex origin film, or a limited series about Lex, pre Superman.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

I feel like if we get Lionel it'll start to feel like a re-tread of Smallville. Because unless you recontextualize the relationship between the two, I don't see the purpose in having him. In the show we needed to see how Lex and his father's influence turn him into the villain he is, but he's already THE Lex Luthor in this.

I think this Lex will stand fine on his own, and maybe even will feel a little lonely in what he is and where he stands in the world.

I'd love to see a miniseries of Lex running for president. With the election being in the sequel.

 

[The Caped Knight]

 

[GreenKToo]

..

 

[DCDAVE]

Best Superhero villain since Heath Ledger’s Joker. Nicolas Hoult found his legacy character. So looking forward to seeing him in future movies.

 

[DKDetective]

 

[NotToday]

I keep seeing people being surprised at Hoult's Lex. Why were y'all sleeping on my boy, Nick? Hasn't played that many outright villains, but he's been good to amazing in literally everything he's done. Out of all the casting, this was the one I was least worried about. But nice that more people are noticing him.

 

[GreenKToo]

Finally a non goofy Lex on the big screen.
He and MR now share the title as my favorite two live action Lex.
Clancy is my favorite animated voice.

 

[Silvermoth]

Finally Lex has his own theme song!

And a proper sinister Lex too. Clancy brown must be proud

 

[Dave McFly]

he is AWESOME as Lex he owns it

 

[DorkyFresh]

I keep seeing people being surprised at Hoult's Lex. Why were y'all sleeping on my boy, Nick? Hasn't played that many outright villains, but he's been good to amazing in literally everything he's done. Out of all the casting, this was the one I was least worried about. But nice that more people are noticing him.

Hoult was the one out of the main three I thought was the wink link tbh. I knew he would do a decent job, but David and Rachel were my dream pics for both their roles. I'd seen Nicholas in the X-Men films, Mad Max: Fury Road, Warm Bodies, and Nosferatu so I hadn't seen him in a role that gave me confidence that he could portray an alpha type with gravitas and authority...but BOY did he blow my expectations out of the water! I 100% believed he was Lex Luthor just as much as I thought of David as Clark and Rachel as Lois. He really did land in the role best suited for him. Gunn not only has a magic pen, but he also has a magic casting director. Can't frikkin' wait to see Nicholas in future DCU projects!

 

[The Guard]

He really did give a thoughtful, layered performance. Lex is a bit of a chameleon in the movie until he starts to become unhinged. Loved the dash of Transatlantic/elite accent affectation he was suddenly using when he needed to try to pull rank with the military.

 

[The Caped Knight]

Nick captured the megalomaniac characteristics of Lex Luthor perfectly in his performance as well as his jealousy of Superman.

This version of Lex is right up there with Michael Rosenbaum, Clancy Brown and Gene Hackman for me. I look forward to seeing more of his exploit in future sequels. Congratulations Nick you hit out of the park.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I think Hoult’s Lex Luthor makes the case for the “pure evil” villain in superhero movies. Oftentimes, I see critics and fans deride villains who are vicious monsters, and sometimes for good reason; often villains are written poorly because their motivations aren’t well fleshed out or believable and everything they do can be boiled down to “oh, well… they’re evil.” But I think we often forget that even Shakespeare would incorporate pure evil characters into his stories (and they are often the most fun ones to watch or read). With Lex, we don’t need to sympathize with him or even fully understand his motivations any more than we understand real-life xenophobes or thin-skinned, crooked billionaires who somehow always feel that THEY are the real victims. We know what they are, we know they are beyond redemption, and that’s enough. I love the old Raimi Spider-Man movies (well, the first two anyway) and a lot of the MCU stuff, but I think the only villains they bothered to develop were the sympathetic ones. The reason why Hoult’s Luthor and Ledger’s Joker work are because they are allowed to be complex without being sympathetic. Sure, there was some obvious past trauma that happened to the Joker (maybe or maybe it’s not one of the origin stories he gives us) and maybe Lex felt he lived in the shadow of an abusive father and it drove him to become the most powerful man in the world and someone who will always be more powerful simply because of his physiology will forever drive him insane. But we don’t sympathize with it either of these (possible) origins because these men allowed their motivations to turn them into vicious monsters. And sometimes, that’s what makes a great villain.