Nicholas Hoult Got His Superman Audition By Sliding Into James Gunn's DMs

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Nicholas Hoult is no stranger to big blockbusters. From playing Beast in the "X-Men" movies to his work in "Mad Max: Fury Road," the actor has been around the block. He's come by the work honestly. That's not to say he came by his role as Lex Luthor in "Superman" dishonestly, but it's the first time in his impressive career that he actually slid into a director's DMs to try and get a part.

The new book "Superman: The Art and Making of the Film" by author James Field is filled with tons of behind-the-scenes details from the making of James Gunn's DC blockbuster. Hoult plays Lex Luthor alongside David Corenswet's Superman, and the actor revealed in the book that he literally slid into Gunn's DMs to land the highly-coveted role. Here's what he had to say about it:

"It's the first time I've done this – I slid into James's DMs and I was like, 'Hey, excited to see what you're cooking up over there. If there's ever anything that I could be, you know, around for, let me know.'"

Hoult initially auditioned to play Superman, but that didn't pan out. However, Gunn then realized that the actor would be a very good fit for this new version of legendary DC Comics villain Lex Luthor. There is something to be said about having an actor who missed out on the role of Superman then going on to become his arch-nemesis. Gunn, known best for directing Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy, seemed to understand that. The especially interesting thing about Hoult is that he also almost played Batman in 2022's "The Batman," with the role ultimately going to Robert Pattinson. He seems to be good-natured about all of it. 

Even so, not getting to play the hero is certainly something he can tap into as a villain in the DC Universe. As for getting the role, the actor further revealed that, initially, he just wanted to try on the Superman suit and see what it was like working with Gunn. When the director called to offer him the role of Luthor instead of Clark Kent, Hoult had a pretty interesting reaction:

"I was like, 'Let's go see what it's like to work with James. I want to try on the Superman suit.' That's something that I think every kid in the world at some point wants to do. Then I got a phone call from James one day and he was like, 'How would you feel about playing Lex Luthor?' I cackled. I did, I evilly cackled down the phone to him. I remember that vividly because there was an instant flash in my brain to the first time I read the script. There was a small part of me in my gut or my instinct that went, it was like, 'I think you might be better and have more fun playing Lex.'"

In the end, it worked out. "Superman" became a huge hit both critically and commercially, getting the new DC Universe off on the right foot. Hoult is also slated to return in Gunn's "Man of Tomorrow," which will see him teaming up with Corenswet's Man of Steel to fight an even bigger foe. It looks like this is going to be a role that Hoult sticks with for years to come. Sliding into those DMs paid off.

You can order "Superman: The Art and Making of the Film" from Amazon.