The leading villain of Smallville and arguably the best live-action Lex Luthor we’ve ever had, Michael Rosenbaum, had kind words to say to Nicholas Hoult who will be playing Lex in the upcoming Superman: Legacy film from director James Gunn.
“Congratulations to Nicholas Hoult! You’ll be a great Lex Luthor. You’re in good hands with James Gunn. Pumped for you buddy. I know you’ll kill it. Welcome to the family,” Michael posted on Instagram.
The posting got the attention of Gunn who has long been a friend of Michael’s and has praised him for being the best Lex…. a sentiment that apparently still comes up often. “We talked about how you’re the best Lex the other night,” Gunn commented underneath the photo that Michael shared and his posting. Interestingly, James Gunn was not always a fan of Luthor in every movie, having specifically spoken on Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast about the campiness of Gene Hackman’s portrayal in the Christopher Reeve films. He later took to Twitter to clarify his statements. “For the record, I think Hackman is one of the five greatest actors of the ’70s & ’80s, and he starred in some of my favorite movies; I just didn’t love him as Lex,” he said.
Fans might also wonder: If Gunn was such a fan of Michael Rosenbaum, why not cast him as Lex? “I love Michael – he was my favorite Lex and he’s one of my very close friends,” James Gunn told a fan on Threads. “But I wanted a Lex who was contemporaries with Superman.”
Superman: Legacy is to due to arrive in theaters July 11, 2025… ironically on Rosenbaum’s birthday. You can see the Instagram post below.
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