Nicholas Hoult landed the role of Lex Luthor even though he auditioned to play the Man of Steel, but there were no hard feelings, as the British actor knew reading the script that the antagonist role was more in his wheelhouse. Still, to best play Superman’s well-known villain, Hoult shared some advice given to him by Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, who, in turn, had a lovely response to his kind words.
Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor Advice to Nicholas Hoult
When taking on a timeless role like Lex Luthor for James Gunn’s Superman movie, it helps to get advice from actors who’ve been in the villainous role before. Batman V. Superman’s Lex Luthor’s Jesse Eisenberg's blunt advice to Nicholas Hoult was… basically not to watch his performance.
On the other hand, Nicholas Hoult had the pleasure of meeting the Lex Luthor he grew up watching: Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum. They’ve had a couple of occasions to meet. A year ago, on the American actor’s podcast, the two talked about Hoult getting fit to play the role, and thy met again on set during Rosenbaum’s cameo in Superman. Hoult got real with Entertainment Weekly on what it was like to finally meet the man behind his childhood villain, saying,
Honestly, he was so kind and encouraging, and he really gave me a freedom and a confidence and a support that felt really lovely going into it. He was probably the first person I saw play Luthor when I was growing up. So to get to interact with him and to chat with him beforehand was really special. I appreciate that from him, his time, but also just his encouragement meant a lot.
I completely relate to Nicholas Hoult in growing up watching Michael Rosenbaum play Lex. Smallville was one of the best DC superhero shows for the modern era and introduced younger audiences to the Man of Steel’s beginnings. I remember Rosenbaum was on-point in portraying Lex’s sinister personality while also being low-key – knowing his friendship with Clark Kent would uncover secrets of the Kryptonian native.
It must have been a real dream for Nicholas Hoult to finally meet Michael Rosenbaum. But before they parted ways, the podcaster made sure to impart some sage words of advice onto the next Lex Luthor. Hoult recounted,
The beautiful thing he said was, 'You've got this. Go have fun.' It's a, weirdly, kind of uplifting and wonderful thing to play a character that you've watched someone play and do a brilliant job at, to then have them say, 'Yeah, go get it. Go take it on.' That's a really bolstering sort of thing to happen. It was very kind of him to do that because I suppose it's a weird thing taking on a character that other people have played in some ways. Normally in acting, there's no comparisons, really, when it's a unique character, but when there's been different interpretations, then obviously people do compare.
Michael Rosenbaum may have wanted to take the Lex Luthor role away from Jesse Eisenberg, but it looks like he’s kindly given the go-ahead to Nicholas Hoult.
One can tell Nicholas Hoult was enjoying himself playing the role in a new Superman clip that was released featuring Lex poking fun at Superman for missing his dog. While there may be a lot of pressure to portray a role that’s been done many times before, the actor has earned acclaim for his performance.
Michael Rosenbaum’s Reaction to Nicholas Hoult’s Praises
Nicholas Hoult’s kind words about Michael Rosenbaum didn’t escape the eyes of the talented actor. Rosenbaum took to Instagram to return the favor for Hoult, writing:
So kind of Nicholas to say such lovely things about me. I adore him. He’s a great actor and will knock it out of the park. I told him right off the bat… 'you’re in great hands with James'.
Michael Rosenbaum knows what he’s talking about since he’s worked with James Gunn in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 as Martinex. I’m sure he trusts that the filmmaker's vision of Lex Luthor would be one his longtime pal would be proud of.
Nicholas Hoult must have felt a wave of nostalgia meeting Smallville’s fan-favorite Lex, who offered him wise advice on the role. Fortunately, he and Michael Rosenbaum plan to meet again on his podcast for the two to discuss their take on the new Superman. You can see Hoult’s version of Lex Luthor in the 2025 movie release playing in theaters now.
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