Superman likely won’t be the last time that DCU audiences see Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor.
Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman finally arrives in theaters in less than a month. The DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures movie stars Hoult as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and David Corenswet as the titular Man of Steel.
While Creature Commandos was the first official project that is set within Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, Superman will be the first feature film that takes place within that universe. The DCU will then continue to expand with Peacemaker Season 2, Supergirl, Lanterns, and more.
What did Peter Safran say about Lex Luthor and Superman?
Speaking with Omelete, via ComicBookMovie, Safran hinted that Lex Luthor will continue to have a large role in the DCU moving forward after Superman.
“Lex Luthor is a very important character for us in the DCU, not just in the Superman movie,” Safran said.
Safran didn’t offer more details than that and reportedly “clammed up” when pressed for further details; however, he did say about how Hoult’s performance compares to Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, “Listen, I love Gene Hackman, but that was a very over-the-top performance. Nick Hoult made Lex Luthor his character. It’s an iconic, iconic performance, and it’s great. It’s realistic, it’s smart, it’s articulate.”
There are a large number of projects that Lex Luthor could appear in after Superman, as Gunn has already talked about making a sequel that will supposedly surprise audiences. There’s also the possibility that they could set Lex up to be an antagonist in some kind of DCU ensemble picture, be it a Justice League movie or another project.
Superman flies into United States theaters and IMAX on July 11, 2025. It is part of the DCU’s first chapter, which is titled “Gods and Monsters.”
Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.