Superman Star Nicholas Hoult Reveals He Consulted Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum On Playing The DCU’s Lex Luthor

July 5, 2025

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Ahead of Superman’s release, Nicholas Hoult revealed how previous Lex Luthor actor Michael Rosenbaum reacted to his casting as the iconic DC villain. The latter portrayed Lex in the hit television series Smallville for its first seven seasons, and his version of the character is a fan favorite.

Hoult’s Lex has yet to debut, but the trailers for Superman set him up as a perfect foil to the titular hero (played by David Corenswet), with a smug attitude and an inferiority complex. Per Collider, the actor actually discussed playing Lex with Rosenbaum, who he called “so kind and encouraging.”

Hoult continued by adding that Rosenbaum “really gave [him] a freedom and a confidence and a support that felt really lovely going into it.” This meant more to the actor because Rosenbaum was “probably the first person [Hoult] saw play [Lex] when [he] was growing up” and getting “to interact with him and to chat with him beforehand was really special.”

As for what advice Rosenbaum gave him, Hoult said he kept it simple and positive: “The beautiful thing he said was, ‘You’ve got this. Go have fun.’ That’s a really bolstering sort of thing to happen… it was very kind of him to do that.”

Smallville Was A Major Influence On The Cast Of Superman

Hoult has spoken before about his appreciation for Rosebaum’s Lex. Last year, he explained that Smallville was the first Superman adaptation he really got into. The actor explained:

It’s so ingrained in our culture that I knew Superman, Kryptonite, and all these things from before I think I’d never seen any Superman… But Smallville was, again, my first probably real understanding of the world. Michael [Rosenbaum] did a fantastic job as Lex did in that. So that was a great first welcoming into the culture, I suppose.

His more recent comments recontextualize his praise for Smallville and for Rosenbaum. Not only does Hoult appreciate the show, but he also spoke with Rosenbaum and to some degree, got his feedback on playing Lex.

Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor In Smallville looking out from a forest

Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum may have been cast in James Gunn’s Superman, and I think I’ve worked out what it is based on his comments.

Interestingly, Corenswet has also cited Smallville as a huge inspiration for his take on the Man of Steel, revealing that he used to sneak episodes of Smallville behind his parents’ backs growing up. Subsequently, he called Smallville star Tom Welling “the Superman.”

Michael Rosenbaum Passed The Torch To Nicholas Hoult

Smallville’s influence remains alive and well amongst fans, including the cast of Superman. It is wholesome that Hoult and Rosenbaum discussed sharing the role of Lex, especially given that the former has a personal childhood connection to the latter’s version of the villain.

Smallville is a beloved take on the Superman mythology, so incorporating what that series did well into Superman is a good move. Moreover, Lex is such a complex and interesting character when portrayed well, and Hoult appears to be taking his legacy seriously.