Nicholas Hoult recently opened up about a very uncomfortable yet memorable moment, auditioning for Superman on the same day as David Corenswet, who ultimately landed the role.
Hoult, who will now play iconic villain Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy, shared the story during a chat with guest host Diego Luna on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
He admitted the experience was “very awkward.” The 35-year-old actor explained, “Yes, I auditioned for Superman. I walked out of doing one of my scenes, and I thought, ‘Yeah, not bad. OK.’” But that confidence quickly shifted when he bumped into Corenswet right after.
“There were lots of shadows on the studio lot,” Hoult said, “and then one ray of sunshine. David had taken a seat in this ray of sunshine and was sitting there, like, charging up from the sun… like Superman does.”
Hoult continued, “I walked over to say hello, and he stood up, and I was like, ‘Goddamn, he’s about an inch taller than me. Look at his hair. Look at his jawline.’ Then I shook his hand and thought, ‘His hands are a bit bigger than mine.’ Then he spoke, and I was like, ‘Oh, his voice is a little bit deeper too.’”
That was the moment Hoult knew Corenswet was the guy. “Whilst we were shaking hands, I was like, ‘I’d be happy if this guy was Superman.’ I mean, genuinely… he was perfect. But also, what the f***.”
David Corenswet, now officially the new Man of Steel, said the feeling was mutual—but also strange. “I had admired Nick as an actor for a long time,” he shared. “To meet him in this context, both dressed as Clark Kent, hanging from wires, reading the same scene, it was a bit weird. But wonderful.”
Corenswet was thrilled when he found out Hoult would still be part of the movie, just on the other side of the fight. “The day I found out he was playing Lex Luthor, I thought, ‘This may be the best thing that happens to this film.’ A superhero is only as interesting as their villain, and Nick is going to bring something really special.”
Superman: Legacy, directed by James Gunn, is set to reboot the Man of Steel for a new DC Universe. With Corenswet as Superman and Hoult as Lex Luthor, the film promises a compelling hero-villain dynamic that already has fans buzzing.
