One of the villains from James Gunn's Superman is confirmed to survive this movie and come back for future projects in Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU. Now that Gunn and Safran are in charge of a massive new cinematic universe, which is expected to run for years to come, the DC Studios co-CEOs will have to be judicious about who they keep alive and who they kill off. As it turns out, the pair already has this in mind ahead of the franchise's first theatrical release.
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran confirmed that Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor will be alive by the end of 2025's Superman. Following Hoult's previous efforts as Beast in 20th Century Fox's X-Men movies and auditions for Superman and Batman, the DC newcomer has his sights set on an extended run in a new universe.
Speaking with Omelete (roughly translated from Portuguese), Safran called Lex Luthor "a very important character for us in the DCU, not just in the Superman movie." Continuing to discuss Hoult's performance, Safran praised the actor for "[making] Lex Luthor his character," saying he gave an "iconic performance" that was "realistic...intelligent...articulated."
While Lex Luthor is set to be the main villain in Superman, he will join a few other notable antagonists, including Ultraman and a massive kaiju-style monster. Currently, this movie is Hoult's only confirmed appearance in the DCU, but Gunn and Safran are sure to set him up for future roles in movies once the full story for Superman is revealed.
Hoult will join David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and more in the cast of DC Studios' Superman, the first movie in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe. This film will pick up with Superman's years as a hero, all while he gets set to protect Metropolis from a massive new round of threats, putting his city and his new home planet in danger. Superman will debut in theaters on Friday, July 11, 2025.
What To Expect From Lex Luthor in Future DCU Projects
Based on Safran's quotes, he and Gunn have no intention of limiting Nicholas Hoult's performance as Lex Luthor to only one movie alongside David Corenswet's Superman.
Coming in with a surprisingly human backstory for his DCU debut, Hoult's take on this villain is already set to be wildly layered and deep next to his arch-nemesis. While Jesse Eisenberg's most recent portrayal of the villain in the DCEU tried to do some similar things in terms of character depth, it's clear that Hoult has a bright future ahead of him.
One major difference fans will see in Hoult's Luthor from Eisenberg's take is that he will be one of the most intelligent people in the entire DCU, creating inventions that almost seem like they could be magic. While he may ultimately lose to the Man of Steel, the way Lex often does against Superman, this appears to set up the idea of him always coming back from a loss with something bigger, badder, and more dangerous in his arsenal.
Lex is also expected to arrive with his own battlesuit so he can face Kal-El alone without his army of LexCorp soldiers.
Considering how big Lex's ego will be, along with his intelligence, many expect to see him and Superman do battle in various arenas and storylines over the course of the DCU's hopefully long run.
The real question is what will happen as Lex and Superman are introduced in this movie. Metropolis will surely become a dangerous battleground for the two powerhouses.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
