Superman 2025 Film: What is Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor’s aim in the film? 

The Superman teaser trailer has introduced multiple characters like Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, Mr. Terrific, and more. Of course, there’s the adorable Krypto, Lois Lane, and more as well. But, apart from the heroes and the good guys, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) gets some interesting shots as well. In this article, we will discuss the famous bald human nemesis of Superman, and what his role is in the film. 

What is the goal of Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor in Superman 2025?

In the teaser trailer of Superman 2025, we see Lex Luthor in all his bald glory looking incensed at Superman. In another shot we see him holding a gun. In all these moments one thing is clear- Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) hates the man of steel with all his heart. We even see a quick glimpse of Luthorcorp in the trailer as well. 

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor talked about his version of the famous villain. He said, “This Lex is obviously smart and ruthless, and he has to outmaneuver Superman on certain levels because he can't match him on others.”

Nicholas Hoult also hoped that audiences will be able to understand him on some level. He said, “There's also something about this character, hopefully from my standpoint, where even though you perhaps don't agree with his process, there's an element where you can understand on some levels where he's coming from and why perhaps what he's pushing as his ideology is perhaps better for humanity.”

During the teaser trailer launch, James Gunn also said that Nicholas Hoult’s Lex will have a method to his madness. He said (via GamesRadar+), “He's (Lex Luthor) intimidating. He's a badass, but he's got his reasons. He's not without his reasons for what he's doing."

Gunn also explained that this version of Lex was almost like a Sorcerer, “Our plot has nothing to do with All-Star Superman, but some of the aesthetics of what Grant wrote and what Frank drew were incredibly influential. They also had that sort of science fiction, and the idea of Lex as a mad science sorcerer, almost. You know, science is his own sort of sorcery.”

Gunn continued, “And the giant, you know, the monsters and the threats and all of that the Silver Age look through a green lens. I think a lot of that was taken from All-Star Superman, and that was my biggest one, for sure. Also my favorite."

As such, it looks like Lex Luthor is going to be, in a way, a champion for humanity and humans. Maybe he believes that humans don’t need a powerful alien from space to protect them. In the trailer, there’s a shot of a giant monster fighting Superman. Could that creature be created by him? 

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.