This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
The Big Picture
Despite rumors to the contrary, the main focus of DC’s
Superman
reboot remains on the classic rivalry between Clark Kent and Lex Luthor.
Nicholas Hoult will take on the role of Lex Luthor, drawing inspiration from previous portrayals, such as Michael Rosenbaum on
Smallville
.
Superman
will fly into theaters on July 11, 2025, with James Gunn at the helm of the highly-anticipated project.
The reboot for DC’s Superman is now in production, with The Man of Steel working his way back to our theaters with a planned release for the summer of 2025. The project bringing back the Last Son of Krypton is led by writer-director James Gunn, who has previously revealed that the first scenes for Supermanhave been shot on location in Svalbard, Norway. While the new boss of DC Studios has been hard at work, the project overall has been swarmed by various rumors trying to predict what surprises might be in store. The most recent chatter has surrounded the film’s villain, with individuals suggesting that Kal-El (David Corenswet) will have to face off against a cloned evil version of Superman, presumably engineered by Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. With the rumor persisting, Gunn has taken to Threads to debunk the controversial rumor, affirming that the central rivalry in Superman will remain between Clark and Lex.
According to DC Studios, Superman tells the story of Kal-El’s journey to reconcile both his Kryptonian heritage and his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. Despite being part of a world where kindness can be perceived as weakness, Clark will strive to remain the embodiment of truth and justice, with Lex seeking to push him all the way, according to Gunn’s Threads post.
“The primary protagonist of
Superman
is, shockingly, Superman. The main villain of
Superman
is, shockingly, Lex Luthor. I don’t know where all the stuff is coming from that it’s something other than this. There are so many stories coming out every day it’s difficult to deal with and everytime I strike something down I’m giving it attention. So, I’ll say again, don’t believe anything unless you see it HERE (& why would you want to know everything before the movie comes out anyway?)”
The Perfect Villain for DC’s ‘Superman’ – Lex Luthor
Image by Jefferson Chacon
While it might have been really cool to see another villain from Superman’s catalog of foes, you’d suspect that in Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran’s DCU, they’d eventually get their chance to take on Clark. In that case, the choice to go with Lex Luthor is difficult to argue against. Nicholas Hoult has taken on the task of embodying the bald and beautiful Lex, and given how iconic the character is, the actor has shared his inspiration for Alexander.
Speaking to Michael Rosenbaum, who played the character for a decade on Smallville, Hoult says, “Yeah, I grew up when Smallville was on, I can’t remember if it was Channel 4 or Channel 5 in the UK, but like growing up. I was like 11, 12, I guess. And so that was like the show that I would watch and see my first iterations of Superman and Lex and all those stories. Since I’ve seen Richard Donner’s movies and all the other ones and kind of seen some of the other performances, but you’re like the one. I love [your portrayal], it’s the best.”
Superman will be released on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
Superman (2025)
Follows the titular superhero as he reconciles his heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way in a world that views kindness as old-fashioned.
Release Date July 11, 2025
Studio DC Studios