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Superman's new cinematic Lex Luthor names his most inspirational predecessors: Gene Hackman and Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum
Nicholas Hoult, who'll play Lex Luthor in James Gunn's upcoming Superman, says that Gene Hackman and Michael Rosenbaum inspired his performance
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Nicholas Hoult has made no secret of the fact that he https://www.thepopverse.com/movies-nicholas-hoult-superman-casting-lex-luthor-steal-role-from-david-corenswet-james-gunn initially auditioned for the title role in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman — but, as it turns out, he might have been better suited to play Lex Luthor, all along. Especially when you take into account the previous Lexes fans have enjoyed onscreen.
After all, Hoult — an acclaimed actor who’s previously appeared in everything from X-Men: First Class to Nosferatu, with The Great, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Juror No. 2 as pitstops along the way — is carrying on the proud tradition of actors finding multiple layers inside Superman’s arch-nemesis when bringing him to life … and that’s something that he took into account when approaching the role, he revealed, citing two particular predecessors as influencing his performance.
“Gene [Hackman]’s one of my all-time faves, just as an actor in general. I went back and watched Gene,” Hoult told Empire, referencing the Lex of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. (One of the finest on-screen Lex Luthors ever, live-action or animated, let’s be honest.) “And Michael Rosenbaum, who was the first Lex I saw, growing up watching Smallville [on TV]. It’s interesting when you play a character that’s been played before — you’re working from a different script, but it’s fun to draw inspiration from all of those places.”
If this means that Hoult can combine the sensitive smarm of Rosenbaum’s Luthor with the comedic timing (and fine wig choices) of Hackman’s, then I think we can all agree that the next cinematic Lex Luthor will be something to appreciate indeed. But no love for Jesse Eisenberg’s severely underrated Lex from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice…? One day, that performance deserves some reappraisal…
Superman flies into theaters July 24.
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