Superman’s Cast Got Asked About What Other DC Characters They’d Love To Play, And Nicholas Hoult Hilariously Threw Back To His Failed Batman Audition

by

There’s little room for debate that Superman is expected to be one of the major releases this summer, even if there’s some uncertainty about what constitutes a “tentpole” film. As such, expectations were running high regarding any new information about the movie prior to Warner Bros.’ CinemaCon 2025 event. In an attempt to save the best for last, the studio invited James Gunn and the three leads of the potential new franchise: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan (who paid homage to The Daily Planet with her attire), and Nicholas Hoult. Notably, Hoult injected some humor into the event by jokingly referencing his past unsuccessful auditions for DC roles during his on-stage appearance.

During the panel discussion, instead of focusing on Krypto the Superdog’s development by James Gunn as I initially anticipated, an unexpected moment stole the show for me when our three characters, including Lex Luthor, were asked about their preferred DC characters to portray. To everyone’s surprise, our latest Lex Luthor seized the opportunity to address a past issue head-on: his previous, unsuccessful auditions for Batman and Superman roles.

Initially, I tried out for both Batman and Superman roles. Quite amusingly, when I first encountered the script, a vague thought crossed my mind that I might suit the character of Lex Luthor better. It was then that I found myself thinking, “That’s the role I should have been aiming for all along.

Unexpectedly, but appropriately, his response was comical, too. In fact, it was back in 2019 when Hoult tried out for Batman alongside Pattinson, who eventually got the part. Later on, he acknowledged the news himself, admitting that Pattinson might have performed better than him in the role.

Apart from landing the part that eventually went to David Corenswet, he also tried out for the role. Later, he sensibly concluded that he would be more suited for the villain role in an upcoming DC film instead.

After making this statement, it might appear that Hoult has two strikes in the hero role, but if we count his appearances as Beast in the Marvel universe, where he was part of the X-Men trilogy following an unconventional audition with a Family Guy character, then he’s actually had three chances.

Regarding their future roles in Gunn’s DC universe, both Corenswet and Brosnahan expressed keen interest. Corenswet shared his fondness for the animated series where Batman and Superman switched roles, suggesting he’d like to explore that narrative. On the other hand, Brosnahan expressed a desire to portray a female Lex Luthor, similar to Hoult, and even joked about shaving her head for the role. I can’t help but ponder how Brosnahan might have embodied Cassandra Nova, but let’s move on.

The three will make their DC debut as Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor on July 11, 2025.

Read More

2025-04-03 15:37