For years, the Lex Luthor crown belonged to Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum. Fans ranked him above Gene Hackman’s campy charm, Kevin Spacey’s creep factor, and Jesse Eisenberg’s jittery tech bro routine. But then James Gunn rebooted the DC Universe with Superman (2025), and in walked the new Lex Luthor, Nicholas Hoult, completely stealing the show with a performance that might just redefine what it means to be the Man of Steel’s greatest enemy.
When Hoult was first announced as Lex, many people were skeptical. The 35-year-old British actor has built his career playing charming, even lovable weirdos (About a Boy, Warm Bodies, The Menu). Villainy wasn’t exactly on his IMDb highlight reel. But from the moment his Lex enters the frame, you can tell this isn’t some Saturday morning cartoon baddie. This Lex is ice-cold, calculated, and unnervingly composed. Until he isn’t.
Hoult leans into the quiet menace of the character. He doesn’t need to monologue about world domination (although he does). His silence says enough. The way he studies a room, plots ten steps ahead, and manipulates those in power with a polite smile? It’s unsettling in the best way. There are louder moments too. Yes, Hoult does get to shout like any good cinematic villain should. But it’s those eerie calm-before-the-storm beats that really stick with you.
He’s not riffing off Gene Hackman’s wink-at-the-camera style or Jesse Eisenberg’s social network neuroses. Instead, he draws inspiration from Rosenbaum’s Lex — that colder, more grounded take where the character’s motivations actually make sense. “If there were a Lex Luthor,” Rosenbaum once told James Gunn on Inside of You, “promise me… he’ll have gravitas… he won’t be goofy… or crazy! He’s going to be something that’s grounded and real.” Gunn didn’t say much at the time, but it’s clear he was listening.
In fact, it’s hard to ignore how much Gunn respects Rosenbaum’s performance. He even told him on the same podcast: “I’m not joking; you’re undeniably the best, Lex.” Until now?
Hoult’s Luthor is very much rooted in the comics, too. You can see this guy donning the purple and green power suit one day. He’s got that narcissistic God complex that fuels Luthor’s belief that he, and only he, can protect humanity from Superman. And like the best comic book interpretations, he sees Superman not as a hero, but as a threat. And you can sort of understand his logic… right until he crosses the line.
And if you’re wondering how much Warner Bros. believed in Hoult, just look at the paycheck. According to Puck News, he reportedly walked away with $2 million for the role. That’s more than David Corenswet (Superman) and Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane) made combined. That’s a lot of kryptonite for his performance.
So, is Nicholas Hoult the best Lex Luthor ever? He just might be. He’s terrifying without being cartoonish, smart without being smug, and evil without ever needing to twirl an imaginary mustache. It’s Lex Luthor reimagined for a modern world. He is grounded, dangerous, and totally believable.
Michael Rosenbaum held the crown for nearly two decades. But Hoult? He just now built his throne.
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