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When we think of Lex Luthor, we don’t usually picture someone who is physically intimidating or powerful. In fact, he is usually portrayed as a foil to Superman. The Brains to his Brawn, as it were. However, Nicholas Hoult, who is playing Lex Luthor opposite David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in James Gunn’s Superman, zeroed in on an iconic moment from All Star Superman before bulking up for the role.

The scene in question, from 2006's All Star Superman #5, shows Lex Luthor in prison and having thrown himself into a pretty impressive weight-lifting regime. The motivation behind it wasn’t just to keep himself out of trouble but out of comparing himself to the Man of Steel and seeing himself come up short; as Lex says elsewhere in the issue, "Next to 'all-powerful Superman,' Lex Luthor is an idiot!".

Hoult focused on that moment as he prepared to play Lex Luthor on the big screen.

“That kind of captures, in my mind, the element of Lex,” Hoult explained in a recent interview. “He’s worked hard and diligently for so many years for all these things, to be admired and to be adored. Then suddenly Superman’s turned up and he’s all the things that he aims to be himself in some ways, but he doesn’t have to work hard for it. So I’m like ‘What if this Lex is someone who is physically strong and is an alpha, or seemingly in that sense?’ Instantly, even in the prep phase, it was like, ‘I’m going to get in the gym and I’m going to be as strong as I possibly ever can be by the time we start shooting.’”

Superman, with Nicholas Hoult’s impressively strong Lex Luthor, is out July 11, 2025. All Star Superman #5 is available digitally, and on DC's DC Universe Infinite subscription service.

James Gunn's Superman movie is out now - and we have a lot to say about it. You can also read about Superman's S-Shield through the ages, how Superman and Clark Kent keep their secret identity secret, our recs for best Superman comics, and how to watch all his TV series and movies in order.