Ahead ofSuperman’srelease, 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 seriesSmallvillefor its first seven seasons, and his version of the character is a fan favorite.
Hoult’s Lex has yet to debut, but the trailers forSupermanset him up as a perfect foil to the titular hero (played by David Corenswet), with a smug attitude and an inferiority complex. PerEntertainment Weekly, 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.”
What Nicholas Hoult’s Comments About Michael Rosenbaum Mean For His Lex Luthor
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 thatSmallvillewas 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… ButSmallville 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 forSmallvilleand 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.
Interestingly,Corenswet has also citedSmallvilleas 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 calledSmallvillestar Tom Welling “the Superman.”
Our Take On Nicholas Hoult’s Comments About Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum Passed The Torch To Nicholas Hoult
Smallville’s influence remains alive and well amongst fans, including the cast ofSuperman. 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.
Smallvilleis a beloved take on the Superman mythology, so incorporating what that series did well intoSupermanis a good move. Moreover, Lex is such a complex and interesting character when portrayed well, and Hoult appears to be taking his legacy seriously.
