With the DCU’s Clayface now a few weeks into its theatrical run, DC fans’ eyes can turn fully to the franchise’s upcoming blockbuster release Man of Tomorrow, a sequel to 2025’s Superman, and Lex Luthor actor Nicholas Hoult has just teased some changes to his already very popular character. While surprises are no doubt in store for Man of Tomorrow, it has been confirmed by James Gunn himself that this movie will see the unlikely duo of Lex Luthor and Superman teaming up together (although that is something that also happened in the comics).
Specifically, Gunn previously confirmed on The Howard Stern Radio Show, “It’s a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.” Now, Hoult has provided even more insight into his character development in the movie to come, and it may mean seeing a different side of the villain who seemed purely evil in Superman. Check out his exact comments and the video of his interview below.
A significant part of Lex’s Superman story was his intense hatred for Superman and his willingness to go to frankly abhorrent lengths to beat him. Even by the end of the movie, Lex seemed like an out-and-out villain with little to no hope of ever really changing his ways. Granted, it’s very unlikely Man of Tomorrow will depict an actual redemption arc for Lex, or even something close, but Hoult has said that this will be a different Lex than the character audiences most recently saw. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Hoult specifically said, “James Gunn wrote a wonderful story, and it was great to play that character again. Because, you know, we’ve established them in the first movie, but now we get to push them into these different territories and do something a little unexpected with them.”
Hoult continued, “I’m excited for people to see it because I’m like, oh, this is, I think, very different for Lex. And the dynamic between all of those characters.” Presumably, this last comment from Hoult means that it won’t just be Lex and Superman who are having to team up. In all likelihood, based on how dangerous this new villain is apparently going to be, it will take Superman, Lex, Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl, along with, perhaps, others. After all, there is still plenty of speculation that Adria Arjona is playing Wonder Woman in the movie.
Nicholas Hoult teases a very different, unexpected Lex Luthor in MAN OF TOMORROW 
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It will be fascinating to see how Lex interacts with these other characters, and it will no doubt lead to some funny moments (particularly when thinking about potential scenes with characters like Lex and Guy or Lex and Lois Lane). Ultimately, though, this team-up also means that they will be facing a truly formidable villain, and that is perhaps the most exciting aspect of Man of Tomorrow of all.
Would you want to see a more complicated or possibly even partially redeemed Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments down below.
