Nicholas Hoult Hints at Game-Changing Lex Luthor Twists in DCU's Man of Tomorrow

Nicholas Hoult is already sharpening the Lex Luthor grin for Superman 2, a.k.a. Man of Tomorrow. He has not read the script yet (yes, really), but he says he just talked to James Gunn about it and is clearly itching to get back to bald, brilliant, and petty.

Hoult on stepping back into Lex

In a new GQ chat, Hoult said he has not gotten his hands on Gunn's Man of Tomorrow script yet, but he is hoping to read it soon. He also said he loved working with Gunn the first time and just spoke with him a week or two ago about where the sequel is headed. The big promise? Lex is not done surprising people.

"I just spoke to him a week or two ago about the sequel and his idea for that."

Hoult thinks there is a lot left to dig into with Luthor and specifically called out the chance to flip expectations about how Lex fits into this DCU. Translation: do not assume you know where this is going.

Villain mode is fun mode

He also lit up talking about playing the bad guy. For him, there is a weird freedom in it: nothing feels off-limits, and you get to crawl inside the obsessive brain of someone whose ideology makes perfect sense to them, even when it absolutely should not. Good villain brain food.

What we know right now

• Title: Man of Tomorrow (yes, one of Superman's classic nicknames)
• Release date: July 9, 2027
• Returning cast: David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, and Rachel Brosnahan
• Script status (for Hoult): he has not read it yet, but expects to soon
• Source material: unclear if it will pull from DC comics that used the Man of Tomorrow banner or the 2020 animated film Superman: Man of Tomorrow
• Tone intel (from the first film's positioning): Gunn's Superman take leans epic, funny, and sincere, with a hero driven by compassion and a basic belief people can be good
• Meanwhile, Superman is already up for digital purchase/rental on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and other platforms

So what does the title actually mean?

DC has slapped 'Man of Tomorrow' on various comic runs over the years, and there was the 2020 animated movie with the same name. This new live-action Man of Tomorrow is the sequel to Gunn's Superman, but it is not confirmed to be adapting any specific run or that animated plotline. It is more of a signal: this era is using classic Superman language for its chapter titles.

The read-between-the-lines part

Hoult not having the script yet but already chatting with Gunn about big-picture ideas tells you where they are in the process. The creative is moving; the pages are apparently still in flux. If you liked the first film's blend of punch, jokes, and heart, expect more of that, plus a Lex who is not locked into the usual lane. The expectation-subverting bit is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.