How Nicholas Hoult Went From Auditioning as Superman to Playing Lex Luthor
Hoult's fit as the villain in the James Gunn-directed Superman film has been touted as a great fit ahead of the movie's release. However, Gunn recently spoke about what led to the casting of David Corenswet as Superman and Hoult being tabbed as Luthor.
During an interview with Variety, Gunn explained what led to Corenswet being cast in the lead role, and specifically discussed what led to Hoult's casting as Luthor.
"Most people [auditioning for Superman] weren't doing anything wrong, they just didn't fit how I envisioned this Superman to be. Nicholas Hoult auditioned. He's a great actor. Some might say he's better than David in certain ways, but he just didn't fit the role. That's why he didn't get that," says James Gunn.
"As much as you can transform yourself as a person, Nicholas is just more controlled. One of the things we were doing was mixing and matching Lois and Clark actors when we were auditioning them. I wanted to make sure we had that chemistry right."
Gunn went on to reveal another interesting tidbit, stating that Hoult had "really good chemistry" with another actress auditioning for the role of Lois Lane.
"The truth is Nicholas, who is a more controlled actor, had a really good chemistry with another Lois who was less controlled. They were opposites. David had better chemistry with Rachel [Brosnahan] because she's a very controlled actor and David is a little bit more loose. That creates a different dynamism on screen," Gunn explained.
While Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were ultimately cast as Superman and Lois Lane, it sounds as though Hoult's fit as Luthor was a great one. The previews for the upcoming film showcase as much.
Hoult's performance as the iconic villain will be on display when Superman hits theaters on July 11.How Nicholas Hoult Went From Auditioning as Superman to Playing Lex Luthor first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 3, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut wins record breaking 17th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog contest
The legend of Joey Chestnut added another chapter on July 4, as he captured his 17th title at the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Held as always at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, the annual Independence Day tradition once again showcased Chestnut's dominance in the world of competitive eating. Chestnut was back in the event after missing the 2024 event due to sponsorship drama with Impossible Foods. Patrick Bertoletti won the event with 58 hot dogs and buns. Following the famous introductions from George Shea: "And he will not stop until he stands side by side with the gods. Ladies and gentlemen...... Joey Chestnut." Chestnut won the event by eating 70.5 hot dogs and buns. His first minute, he saw 11 hot dogs and buns, and by 2:00 he was at 20. After 3:00, Chestnut had a lead of 10 hot dogs and buns over Patrick Bertoletti. Chestnut had 38 after 4:00 of the contest. At the halfway point, Chestnut had downed 46 of them, at a blistering pace. With 4:00 to go, he was at 51, and 19 ahead of Bertoletti. He got to 56 after 7 minutes of the contest. In the final three minutes, Chestnut slowed down a little bit, getting to 60 to 2:00 to go. The next minute, he got only 5 of them in. The final minute, he downed 5 more to finish at 70. His previous record was 76 in 2021. James Webb finished third with 45.5 hot dogs and buns, while Patrick Bertoletti was second at 46.5. Thousands of fans gathered under the summer weather, of 78 degrees on Surf and Stillwell Avenues, just outside the original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand, to watch the most anticipated eating competition of the year. The crowd, waving American flags and chanting Joey's name, created a festive yet intense atmosphere. Joey Chestnut first entered the spotlight in 2005, when he qualified for the Nathan's contest and immediately challenged then-champion Takeru Kobayashi. The following year, Chestnut broke the American record, setting the stage for a rivalry that brought global attention to competitive eating. In 2007, Chestnut finally dethroned Kobayashi and began his reign at the top. Since then, Chestnut has gone hand and hand with the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. His consistency and drive have made him a fan favorite and a sports icon in his own right. Beyond hot dogs, he holds records in dozens of other eating disciplines, from chicken wings to apple pie. With his 17th Nathan's title, Chestnut extends his own record for most wins in the event's history. At 41 years old, he continues to train year-round and shows no signs of slowing down. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest dates back to 1916 and has become a staple of Independence Day celebrations across the United States. Televised nationally and streamed around the world, it mixes pageantry with athleticism and absurdity in a uniquely American way. Miki Sudo won her 11th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on the women's side with 33 hot dogs and buns.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut vows to return for 2026 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Joey Chestnut claimed his 17th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest title on Friday, and we can probably go ahead and write in No. 18 for the GOAT because he's already vowing to return in 2026 to defend his latest mustard belt. After a year away due to a sponsorship dispute, Chestnut returned in 2025 to smash the competition with 70.5 hot dogs put down, but he apparently wasn't satisfied with Friday's performance. Chestnut said he'll be pushing for a record next Fourth of July, which would mean beating his own mark of 76 hots dogs eaten set in 2021. I wouldn't bet against him. Advertisement This article originally appeared on For The Win: Joey Chestnut vows to return for 2026 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Strong Content Portfolio Aids DIS Prospects: What's the Path Ahead?
Disney DIS generates a substantial portion of its revenues from the Entertainment segment (45.2% in second-quarter fiscal 2025), which includes Linear Networks (22.7% of Entertainment revenues), Direct-to-Consumer (57.3%), and Content sales/Licensing and other (20%) ('DTC') business, which offers Disney+ and Hulu, has been prolific in driving Disney's prospects, thanks to a strong content portfolio. At the end of the fiscal second quarter, Disney+ had 126 million subscribers, while Hulu reported 54.7 million has been unrelenting in its efforts to expand its content portfolio globally. Its exciting pipeline includes Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful, Lilo & Stitch, Pixar's Elio, Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Freakier Friday, Zootopia 2 and strategy to scale the DTC business by offering Disney+ and Hulu drives user experience. Its initiatives to improve the user interface through enhanced personalisation and customization features are noteworthy. The company's plan to increase investments in local content outside the United States is another major growth is set to launch 'ESPN,' expanding its DTC service. The new platform will streamline access to every live event and studio show across ESPN's network and ESPN+ content. It will also provide an opportunity to bundle the service with Disney+ and Hulu's streaming services, thereby creating a major new revenue stream. Disney wrestles with Netflix NFLX and Comcast CMCSA in the streaming is benefiting from a growing subscriber base, fueled by a robust portfolio of localized and foreign-language content, and healthy engagement, with about two hours of viewing per member per day, indicating strong member retention. NFLX's advertising tier now accounts for more than 55% of new sign-ups in available markets. The 2025 content slate, with returning hit shows like Squid Game, Wednesday and Stranger Things, holds streaming business, led by Peacock, is benefiting from a content strategy that centers around a wide mix of programming. This includes NBCUniversal originals, next-day NBC and Bravo shows, Pay-One movies like Wicked, and a strong lineup of live sports — all aimed at appealing to a broad audience and driving consistent streaming engagement across different user groups. DIS shares have appreciated 11.4% in the year-to-date period, underperforming both the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector's return of 12.9% and the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry's appreciation of 14.0%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, DIS stock is currently trading at a trailing 12-month Price/Earnings ratio of 21.60X compared with the industry's 24.40X. DIS has a Value Score of B. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Disney's 2025 earnings is pegged at $5.78 per share, up by a couple of cents over the past 7 days. This indicates a 16.3% increase from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. The Walt Disney Company price-consensus-chart | The Walt Disney Company Quote DIS currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report The Walt Disney Company (DIS) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
