He’s not bald (yet), but he’s already boiling. Nicholas Hoult’s take on Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman isn’t just another tech billionaire gone sour — it’s something darker, hungrier, and disturbingly human. Think obsession with a mission. Think alpha energy in a world where the actual god wears a cape.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hoult finally gave us a peek inside the mind of his Luthor — and it’s not a pretty place. Inspired in part by real-world moguls like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, but not defined by them, Hoult describes a man who has shaped every fibre of himself to be admired. And then Superman arrives. Effortless. Alien. A threat to everything Lex believes he’s earned.
"In his mind, he should be adored," Hoult said. "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."
James Gunn called him a "sorcerer of science," and Hoult agrees. This isn’t your average mad scientist — it’s a man whose tech borders on the supernatural, whose obsession knows no limits.
"He's obsessive and determined and relentless, and there's a lot of emotion pushing through all of that," he explained.
Physically, Hoult prepared extensively to portray Luthor as a dominant figure — not a wiry brainiac hiding behind monitors. He aimed to make the character feel as alpha as possible, someone who, according to his own twisted logic, could stand toe-to-toe with Superman.
In a world of gods and monsters, it’s the man with no powers — but all the rage — that might be the most terrifying.
