Nicholas Hoult had an 'instinct' that he would play Lex Luthor in Superman
The 35-year-old actor is playing the Man of Steel's arch-nemesis in the forthcoming DC Universe (DCU) blockbuster and felt that he was perfect for the antagonist, even though he was auditioning for the lead role that ended up going to David Corenswet.
Speaking to Empire magazine, Nicholas said: "I remember reading the script for the first time and there was a tiny little piece of my instinct that was like, 'You might be a good Lex', or, 'You might have fun playing this character.'
"But I brushed it aside. I wasn't listening to my instincts, which I guess is not a good thing. So I went and did the test and enjoyed that, but then when James (Gunn) called me (and told me he wanted me for Lex Luthor), I didn't say anything at first – I just cackled! Because there was an instant flash in my brain where I went, 'Oh, you knew this would be best.'
"So there was a moment of excitement, joy, thrill, and then also I'd say relief or something, where I was like, 'Oh, this has ended up how it should have done if I had kind of listened to my gut early on.'"
Hoult also felt that the role of Lex Luthor provided him with the opportunity to "combine" all the things he has learnt during his recent film projects.
The Nosferatu actor said: "There was something about Lex where I looked at it and (thought that)... Mishmashing all these things that I've been doing recently together, or I feel like I've learned as an actor, and grown into these last few years – all of these things combined and put into this could be a good flavour."
Nicholas explained that he took inspiration from previous depictions of the villain by the late Gene Hackman during the 1970s and 1980s and Michael Rosenbaum's portrayal in the TV series Smallville.
He said: "Gene's one of my all-time faves, just as an actor in general. I went back and watched Gene.
"And Michael Rosenbaum, who was the first Lex I saw, growing up watching Smallville (on TV).
"It's interesting when you play a character that's been played before – you're working from a different script, but it's fun to draw inspiration from all of those places."
Nicholas is relishing the parts he is being able to play at this stage of his career and plans to carry on doing "unexpected things" on the big screen.
The Renfield star said: "I don't have a master plan. (But) it seems like a lot of the performances that I grew up loving, or specifically when actors would go on runs of things, (it) seemed to be in their thirties and forties.
"So I've always been excited about this period of my career. So, keep trying to do unexpected things. And take some risks."
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