Every face needs a good heel! James Gunn breaks down Nicolas Hoult’s performance as Lex Luthor in Superman as he reveals the face of DC Studios.

While Superman is still a few months out, DC Studios just put out its first official project with Creature Commandos. Yet before the footage could even roll on James Gunn’s animated avocation, fans were shocked to see the Man of Steel adorning the face of the DC logo. This left fans confused on why a specific superhero was adorning the runtime of a completely unrelated project. When asked about this on Bluesky, Gunn responded that the Last Son of Krypton would be a permanent staple in every project from this point forward, calling him the ‘MGM Lion’ of the studio.

This makes perfect sense. While Batman has taken the limelight in the cinematic realm for the past 35 years, Superman has always been the face of DC. It only makes sense that James Gunn would want to make the iconic character the face of DC Studios as well, even in cases where other characters are taking the spotlight like in Creature Commandos.

Nicolas Hoult Intimidates As Lex In Superman

But what would any hero be without their villain? James Gunn made a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to help promote Creature Commandos and DC Studios. During the talk, Gunn was able to speak on Nicolas Hoult’s performance as Lex Luthor in Superman, remarking that the actor brings something to the character never before seen in the live-action realm.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen the Lex that [Nicolas Hoult] is. Nick is imposing. You go, ‘Oh, f***, poor Superman.’ That’s the thing we never see, not in film. Sometimes in the comics you go, ‘Oh, Superman is f***ed because Lex is so smart and so good at what he’s doing’ but in the movies, you’re going, ‘Lex is about to get f***ed.’”

Prior Superman movies have certainly made Lex Luthor less of an oppressive force than he has historically been in the comics. Fans are certainly relieved that James Gunn is taking steps to rectify this in DC Studios’ incarnation of the character. While Nicolas Hoult doesn’t have the strongest backlog of playing truly imposing figures, the fact that he has seemingly been able to play the part so well suggests that great things are in store for both fans and the character.

Superman is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 11, 2025. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the DC Universe and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!