Why Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum Isn't Playing Lex Luthor In Superman: Legacy

It's been 90 years since the creation of the most iconic superhero in American history. Superman first came to life in 1933, and the world's greatest superhero has had endless iterations since. However, one of the most successful and beloved came from The CW series "Smallville."

The prequel imagined how a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) might grow into his lofty role as the planet's protector, but it also threw a surprising hook into the mix by making Clark and his archnemesis, Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), into best friends who slowly grow together before drifting apart and becoming enemies.

Fans have celebrated Rosenbaum's turn as Lex Luthor in "Smallville" for over two decades now. As such, some have wondered if he could be James Gunn's choice for "Superman: Legacy." That won't be the case, however, as we know now that Nicholas Hoult will be playing Lex in the upcoming DCU film. That's not to suggest that Gunn doesn't respect Rosenbaum's iconic performance as the character.

When one fan suggested that Rosenbaum should take on the role on Threads, Gunn replied that he loved his friend in the role but that he was aiming for something different in "Superman: Legacy." "I love Michael – he was my favorite Lex, and he's one of my very close friends," Gunn wrote. "But I wanted a Lex who was contemporaries with Superman."

What James Gunn seems to be suggesting here is that he wants an actor who is closer in age to David Corenswet, and if that's his reasoning, Nicholas Hoult makes a lot more sense for the role of Lex Luthor in "Superman: Legacy" than Michael Rosenbaum. After all, Corenswet and Hoult have a mere 4-year age gap between them at 30 and 34, respectively. Meanwhile, Rosenbaum is much further along at the age of 51.

While Lex Luthor is commonly portrayed as being a bit older than Clark Kent, he is usually close enough in age to the Man of Steel that they feel like contemporaries, so it makes sense that Gunn would want to keep this tradition going. Meanwhile, the DCU co-head made a happy announcement in the same Threads post, celebrating the finalization of Hoult's role in "Superman: Legacy."

"Yes, finally, I can answer. [Nicholas Hoult] is Lex Luthor in #SupermanLegacy, and I couldn't be happier," he wrote. "We went out to dinner last night to celebrate & discuss how we can create a Lex that will be different from anything you've seen before and will never forget."

Though fans will have to wait until the release of the upcoming film in 2025 to see how Hoult squares up against other actors who have previously undertaken the role, if Gunn's confidence can be trusted, viewers are in for a real treat when "Superman: Legacy" does finally arrive in theaters.