Nicholas Hoult gets honest on missing out Superman cape to David Corenswet

Nicholas Hoult didn’t hold back when sharing his true feelings about losing the Superman role to David Corenswet in the upcoming Superman film.

Hoult, who ultimately landed the part of iconic villain Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman reboot, recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside Corenswet to promote the much-anticipated film.

During their chit chat, guest host Diego Luna didn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room: both actors originally auditioned for the same role.

"This is very awkward. Yes, I auditioned for Superman," the Nosferatu star admitted with a laugh.

Interestingly, the two actors auditioned on the same day and even ran into each other, which led Hoult, 35, to think he wouldn’t mind losing the Superman cape to Corenswet.

"I walked out of doing one of my audition scenes, and I was like, 'Yeah, not bad. OK,' And I walked around the corner, and there was lots of shadows on the studio lot and then one ray of sunshine," the two time Golden Globe nominee recalled. "David had taken a seat in this ray of sunshine and was sitting there, charging up from the sun like Superman does, getting his power."

"I walked over to say hello, and he stood up, and I was like, 'Goddamn, he’s about an inch taller than me," Hoult continued, raving about Corenswet’s hairs, jawline, hands, deeper voice all better than him. "While we were shaking hands, I was like, 'I’d be happy if this guy was Superman. I was like, ‘You’re perfect for it.'"

However, even with all the admiration, Hoult couldn’t help but cheekily vent, saying, "But also what the f***."

Despite missing out on the hero appearance, Hoult holds no grudges. He fully embraces his role as Superman’s archnemesis, and is just as excited as fans for the film’s release on July 11, 2025.