Nicholas Hoult on meeting ‘Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, the Lex Luthor of his youth

One of the first Lutors of Lex that Nicholas Hoult remembers having seen as a child is the one played by Michael Rosenbaum on SmallvilleThe CW series featuring Tom Welling as Clark Kent / Kal-El in a mastery of the school.

“”Smallville was a lot on television when I grew up, “said the actor born in Wokingham, 35, Weekly entertainment. “I think it was on Channel 4 or Channel 5 in the United Kingdom growing up.”

As fate would have done, Hoult would grow up to win the role of Luthor in the new version of the writer / director James Gunn Supermanhit theaters on July 11. Part of the process was to meet Rosenbaum himself; Hoult appeared on the actor’s podcast, Inside youin March 2024.

Rosenbaum also has a small role in the film. During a panel at Fan Expo Dallas last month which was moderate by Screenrant, he disclosed: “James asked me to do something fun, so I have a few lines that I explore.”

Hoult is thinking about the experience of meeting the luthor of his youth and what advice Rosenbaum shared with him.

“Honestly, he was so kind and encouraging, and he really gave me freedom and confidence and support that seemed really charming to go,” recalls Hoult. “It was probably the first person I saw Luthor play when I grew up. So being able to interact with him and chatting with him in advance was really special. I appreciate that his time, but also his encouragement meant a lot.”

Hoult plans to return to the podcast of Rosenbaum after they had the chance to see the film of Superman finished.

“The beautiful thing he said was:” You have that. Amenized “”, continues Hoult. “It is one thing, strangely, somehow edifying and wonderful to play a character you watched someone play and do a brilliant job, and then tell them:” Yeah, go get it. Go for it. “It is a kind of really reinforced thing.

Curiously, David Corenswet, who plays Superman in front of Hoult, shared with EW that he also obtains comparisons with Welling. SO Smallville is not only in Hoult’s mind. “When I grew up, he was the Superman who was on television every week,” said Corenswet. “I think that, to one extent or another, all the actors of Superman … There is a Venn diagram of our physical characteristics, which makes sense for a superhero who is conventionally the one who does not wear a mask.”

Superman Offers a different vision of these emblematic characters of DC Comics. The film presents a world in which humanity has known metahumans (super fueled individuals) for 300 years, while the steel man has been active as a hero for a few years. Luthor, the technological billionaire behind Luthorcorp, is destroying Krypton’s last son.

For the history of EW’s in -depth coverage on SupermanHoult shared a private comic strip panel from All-Star Superman This greatly influenced his point of view on the character. It is a scene in which Luthor shows his muscles for Clark Kent after swallowing in prison.

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“Feel that, Kent?” Real muscles. Not like her…. “The character said.” It is easy to be strong when you came from the planet Krypton! This Takes hard work. “”

“This kind of capture, in my mind, the element of Lex,” said Hoult. “Il a travaillé dur et avec diligence pendant tant d’années pour toutes ces choses, pour être admiré et être adoré. Puis soudain, Superman est arrivé et il est tout ce qu’il vise à être lui-même à certains égards, mais il n’a pas à travailler dur pour cela. Donc je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis comme, je suis Like, I am like, I am like, I am like, I am like, I am like, I am like, I am like. What if this lex is someone who is physically strong and who is an alpha, or apparently in this direction? Instantly, even in the preparation phase, it was like, I will enter the gymnasium and I will be as strong as possible as I can be when we start. “”

He is now developing more on comics as inspiration. “The beautiful thing is that you have so much history and property to go back and look,” says Hoult. “You start with comics and find your script, which is the model of what this character is in this story and how it works. Then, of course, speaking with James and having an idea of ​​what he hoped in this interpretation. Although you play a character that people have played before, it will naturally be different, because, obviously, you are a different human, but also the character is different.