Nicholas Hoult as Superman’s Lex Luthor? Sure, But Everyone Thinks He’s Better Suited to Another Bald Role

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Superman‘s Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult. However, after seeing him in action in the trailer for James Gunn’s DC Universe movie, fans have been casting him as another menace.

It’s none other than Agent 47, the balding, bar-coded assassin who features in IO Interactive’s Hitman franchise. This long-running stealth series casts you as 47, throwing you into a murder sandbox where you eliminate your targets using a wealth of weapons and disguises.

47 isn’t your average hitman for hire, however. He’s been genetically engineered to be the best, and while you, as a player, can slaughter the innocent, the games generally have him going after the guilty. So, there’s absolutely scope for a Hoult hitman to be a hero or, at least, an anti-hero.

Where did all this fan-casting come from? It stems from a single scene in the trailer where Hoult’s Lex Luthor wields a pistol, dressed in a smart suit. 47 is known for his sartorial elegance, and Hoult’s appearance, coupled with his lack of hair, has set imaginations ablaze.

“I honestly thought he was portraying 47,” said one Twitter / X user. “47 has no facial expressions so I’m glad Holt is taking it seriously”, quipped another, with one going so far as to mock up a Hitman cover featuring Hoult.

Related: Superman: Every DCU Cameo & Easter Egg in the Teaser Trailer for James Gunn’s Reboot

The official PlayStation Twitter/X account threw its weight behind the growing demand for a Hoult-led Hitman movie, adding, “Good evening 47. Your next target resides alone in an isolated fortress.” I have to admit, the idea of assassinating the Man of Steel does have its appeal. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has a similar premise, but its truncated post-release content confirms the JLA you get to kill are actually clones.

Could a Hoult-led Hitman actually happen? It’s possible, but the biggest hurdle is the middling reception of the previous Hitman movies. 2007’s Hitman cast Timothy Olyphant as 47, and while it was generally a fun watch, it suffered from studio-administered reshoots. There’s a scene where Hitman and fellow assassins have each other at gunpoint, and instead of shooting it out, they put their guns down and fight with big knives.

2015’s Hitman: Agent 47 was less appealing, casting Robert Friend as a rather unlikeable 47, and it performed more poorly than Olyphant’s version. I’d love to have Olyphant back as 47, but I can’t see that happening, and the rights have likely reverted to IO Interactive.

So, for now, it’s just wishful thinking, but Hoult has played everything from zombies through to emperors, so there’s no denying his range. You can watch him as Lex Luthor when Gunn’s Superman reboot hits cinemas next July 11, 2025.