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The casting process of Superman: Legacy is coming along pretty well, as the final shortlist of the several actors who submitted their audition tapes for the film is ready. Amongst the contenders for Superman, they have reportedly got David Corenswet, Tom Brittany, and Nicholas Hoult who have screen tested for the role in recent times.
As far as Lois Lane is concerned, the top contenders are Emma Mackey, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rachel Brosnahan, who screen-tested along with the aforementioned actors. Now, what about the villain? A recent report from The Hollywood Reporter also revealed the shortlisted actors for Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy. The three actors shortlisted for the part include Nicholas Hoult, Alexander Skarsgård, and Bill Skarsgård.
Actors who could play Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy
1) Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult isn’t just in the running for Superman, but also for Lex Luthor. He is not new to the comic book movies space as he famously played Hank McCoy aka Beast in Fox’s rebooted X-Men timeline. Apart from that, he has shown tremendous range in many other films such as Renfield, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Menu, and Tolkien, amongst others.
In recent times, the actor has been very transparent about losing some major career-changing roles including almost being cast as Batman instead of Robert Pattinson. Hoult was also cast as the main villain of Mission: Impossible 7 but had to drop out due to contractual obligations. Now, he is in the running for two new DC roles.
Among these two roles, Superman and Lex Luthor, the latter might be a better fit for him as he hasn’t played a significant villain yet. However his initial casting in Mission: Impossible 7 hints that he has what it takes to play an evil maniacal genius in Superman: Legacy. So, his fans would get something very different from him if he ends up getting cast as Luthor.
2) Alexander Skarsgård
The 46-year-old actor is known for his performances in True Blood, The Legend of Tarzan, and Big Little Lies. In recent times, he has been showcasing his range by experimenting with roles of several different genres. He did so by starring in blockbusters such as Godzilla vs. Kong and also became a part of other smaller-budget movies like The Northman and Infinity Pool.
He was in contention for roles such as Captain America and Thor. So, getting cast as Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy could finally allow him to enter the comic book movie space. His portrayal of the character would be very unique, and different from what fans have seen from the actor so far.
3) Bill Skarsgård
Bill Skarsgård is already known for portraying multiple villainous characters. He is popular for playing Pennywise the Clown in Andy Muschietti's IT and IT Chapter Two. Apart from that, fans saw him as Kro in Eternals, and recently, he played the antagonist Marquis de Gramont in John Wick: Chapter 4.
Now following his older brother, he is also in contention for Lex Luthor. He isn’t new to playing villains or being a part of comic book movies as fans also saw him playing a small role in Deadpool 2. Hence, he could prove to be a very safe choice for Lex Luthor, being so experienced with villainous roles.
Why Alexander Skarsgård should play Lex
Both Nicholas Hoult and Bill Skarsgård are great actors who could do justice to the Lex Luthor role. They are roughly the same age. On top of that, fans have already seen Bill Skarsgård in several villainous roles, so Superman: Legacy should offer something new.
Jesse Eisenberg gave fans a young tech-billionaire version of Lex. So, even though Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal will be different, he’d be almost the same age as Eisenberg was when he played the role. Since fans have already seen a younger version of the character in recent times, James Gunn could go for an older, mature, and menacing version of Lex Luthor. This could be a version that Alexander Skarsgård could certainly portray.
As mentioned, his portrayal will be very unique and would offer something very different than what fans have seen in the past. Furthermore, Superman: Legacy is a movie that needs some familiar names to drive the film, and Alexander Skarsgård is the most popular A-Lister out of the lot that’s in contention for Luthor. So, that’s another reason for him to take on the part.
Superman: Legacy arrives on July 11, 2025.
