Nicholas Hoult and David Corenswet Have Competed Since Day One

Part of Lex Luthor’s hatred for Superman is based on jealousy (depending on which stories you’re reading). Lex has been a mad scientist, a businessman, the President of the United States, and the powerful emissary for the ancient being Perpetua (comics are wild, man). But through all that, he still can’t get over the fact that the world loves Superman more than him. It creates a fun dynamic between hero and villain that hasn’t really been fully explored on the big screen, despite three different actors taking up the Luthor mantle over the decades (there have been plenty of great TV Luthors, but I’m not gonna talk about them here).

We’ve seen some elements of Luthor’s jealousy, but he has mostly been a mustache-twirling villain. Gene Hackman set the standard, giving us a Luthor who is more in line with his counterpart of the time; A self-declared criminal genius who wants to do bad for money. Kevin Spacey took over the role in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, and it’s hard to imagine that there’s a Superman movie more cursed than the one made by Cannon Films. Spacey’s Luthor is again an over-the-top madman, but he’s more revenge-driven. Jesse Eisenberg’s much-maligned take on the character is more motivated by taking advantage of Henry Cavill’s Superman. I think. I like that movie, and his performance, and I’m not sure what he’s after.

The next Luthor to hit movie screens will be played by Nicholas Hoult. Several trailers have Luthor shouting how annoyed he is that people prefer Superman to him, so the jealousy seems to be front and center. Coincidentally enough, Hoult will even have a bit of real-world jealousy to (playfully) pull from. While promoting the movie on Jimmy Kimmel: Live (Kimmel was replaced by the wonderful Diego Luna), Hoult revealed that he and new Superman, David Corenswet, have already been competing. “This is very awkward. Yes, I auditioned for Superman,” he explained, with Corenswet noting they had their auditions on the same day.

It’s clear watching the two together that there isn’t any animosity over who got the role, but it does create an interesting dynamic. It also sounds like Hoult knew Corenswet was likely to snag the part. “I walked out of doing one of my audition scenes, and I was like, ‘Yeah, not bad. OK,’ And I walked around the corner, and there was lots of shadows on the studio lot and then one ray of sunshine,” Hoult told Luna’s crowd. “David had taken a seat in this ray of sunshine and was sitting there, charging up from the sun like Superman does, getting his power.” Corenswet gives off big Superman vibes as is, so seeing him in the sun like that probably felt a little surreal.

But that wasn’t all. Hoult got a chance to meet the man, and unlike Lex Luthor, was impressed by his … super-ness. “I walked over to say hello, and he stood up, and I was like, ‘Goddamn, he’s about an inch taller than me. Look at his hair. Look at his jawline.’ And then he started speaking, and I shook his hand, and I was like, ‘His hands are a bit bigger than me.’ And then he spoke, and I was like, ‘Oh, his voice is a little bit deeper too,’” he recalled. “And in that moment, whilst we were shaking hands, I was like, ‘I’d be happy if this guy was Superman. I was like, ‘You’re perfect for it.’” James Gunn felt similarly.

Having an offscreen connection, even one born out of competition, will likely strengthen their performances. Clark and Lex need that connection, as Corenswet notes in the interview. “The day that I found out that he had agreed to play Lex Luthor, I thought, ‘This may be the best thing that happens to this film because a superhero is only as interesting as their villain,’” Corenswet explained. I’m trying not to let myself get swept up in the marketing of this thing, but all signs are pointing to a pretty fun flick.