Following the release of the exciting full-length Superman trailer, fans finally got their first glimpse at X-Men star Nicholas Hoult and his transformation as the iconic nefarious antagonist.
Sporting the signature bald head at LuthorCorp HQ, and at one point menacingly brandishing a gun, the trailer makes it clear that Luthor will undeniably be the main man behind all of Superman’s woes.
But with Superman also facing off against an undisclosed dark suited figure (with certain signs pointing to Ultraman) and a giant Kaiju(!), it’s unclear to see how all these foes connect.
However, In a recent Q&A with writer and director James Gunn, the new Co-Chairman and CEO of DC confirmed just what direction they’re going in with the villain: “All-Star Superman is the thing that we borrow the most heavily from. Our plot has nothing to do with All-Star Superman, but some of the aesthetics of what Grant wrote and what Frank drew were incredibly influential.”
“They also had that sort of science fiction influence and the idea of Lex as a mad science sorcerer almost, you know, where science is his own sort of sorcery. And that the giant monsters and the threats and all of that. The Silver Age look through a gritty lens.”
He also shed a light on what fans can expect from Nicholas Hoult’s take on the iconic Superman villain.
“Oh my god I’ve been holding everything in – I have all these pictures on my phone! I mean when Nic Holt is Lex Luther every woman in my life was like “oh my gosh, I love me a bald man!” He’s intimidating, he’s a bad ass but he’s also got his reasons.”
“It’s a story about Superman, and it’s also about the trio of Superman, Lois, and Lex, and how they interact. And then there are other very important characters like Krypto and Mr. Terrific.”
So that’s perhaps who’s behind the giant Kaiju then?!
Directed by James Gunn, Superman stars David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film also stars Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Neva Howell.
Superman will be released in the UK on July 11th 2025.
