One Superman actor’s comments suggest we’ll soon be getting a Lex Luthor unlike any we’ve ever seen on the big screen before. Played by Nicholas Hoult, it’s been teased via trailers and promos that Lex Luthor will already have a pretty sizable vendetta against the DCU’s Man of Steel. However, it’s recently been confirmed that Superman’s arch-foe will be more of a “real, credible threat” than ever before.

The first major live-action movie, James Gunn’s Superman is set to kick off the brand-new DC Universe in earnest. Largely leaving the original DCEU behind, this new movie universe includes new actors for some of the biggest DC characters, including David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult. Having originally auditioned to play Superman, Hoult was instead cast to play Lex Luthor, and the actor’s recent comments have me very excited about this new version of the DC villain, and where his bitterness towards the Man of Steel comes from.

Nicholas Hoult Recently Shared How His Lex Luthor Will Be Different in James Gunn’s Superman

“A Sorcerer of Science”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nicholas Hoult shared his desire, alongside director James Gunn, to make Lex Luthor feel like a “credible threat” against David Corenswet’s Superman. Hoult has also confirmed that this version of Lex will be wielding incredibly advanced weapons and technology, with Luthor himself essentially being a “sorcerer of science”:

“The gadgets and tech he’s working with are beyond those things that we can imagine”

Unlike previous big-screen versions of Lex Luthor, it looks as though Gunn and Hoult intend to lean into a more comics-accurate depiction, one that sees him getting his own hands dirty using a variety of different advanced technologies and weapons.

Hopefully, one such weapon will include Lex Luthor’s signature warsuit, a mechanized set of power armor seen in the comics, animation, as well as certain live-action depictions on television. It would certainly be a pretty exciting big-screen first for the DC supervillain. Hoult has also confirmed that some of Lex Luthor’s weapons will indeed utilize kryptonite, one of Superman’s key weaknesses in the comics. Combined with apparent enforcers like Ultraman and The Engineer, it’s going to be very exciting to see the DCU’s new Lex Luthor in action.

The Reason For Lex Luthor’s Resentment Towards Superman Has Also Been Revealed

Lex Believes He Should Be “Adored”

While driven by emotion alongside his impressive intellect, Hoult also made it clear in this interview that his Lex Luthor won’t be a “mad scientist”. Much like the Lex Luthor seen in the original comics, Luthor’s genius will be very focused on his goals, though they will be fueled by a deep bitterness and resentment toward the Man of Steel:

“He’s someone who really worked hard for a long time in terms of science and himself and how he wants to be perceived and his intellect…I wanted him to feel like he was as much alpha as possible, where he’s someone who’s, in his mind, done everything he possibly could for himself but also for humanity in some ways. In his mind, he should be adored. And then this person, this superhuman, this alien has come along who all those things come naturally to in many ways. That gives him a deep, deep resentment.”

This explanation is incredibly exciting, confirming that Lex Luthor will indeed feel cheated by the adoration Superman gets from the entire world, receiving fame and love he feels should be rightfully his in the DCU.

The fact that Lex Luthor will feel like Superman hasn’t earned said adoration (while he believes he has) is fascinating. Likewise, this idea is perfectly embodied by the Luthor line heard in the trailers describing Superman as an “it” who has captured the world’s attention in ways Luthor refuses to accept. Overall, it seems as though Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor is set to be more comic book accurate than we’ve ever seen before, one who’s willing to go toe-to-toe with Superman if necessary, with both the means and the tools to do some real damage against the Kryptonian hero.

James Gunn’s Superman releases in theaters on July 11th from DC Studios.

Source: Entertainment Weekly