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DC’s Superman: Legacy is becoming a major priority as the growth and development of James Gunn’s new DCU depends majorly on it. Things began to move very swiftly behind the scenes as Gunn and co had already finalized most of the cast members. But the Lex Luthor casting is still yet to be finalized.
A recent rumor from Giant Freakin’ Robot suggested that “DC Studios has officially offered Daniel Craig the role of Lex Luthor” for Superman: Legacy. Given that the movie needed a bigger name along with the ones that have been cast so far, the Daniel Craig rumor generated a lot of chatter online. But James Gunn didn’t let the rumor survive for long.
James Gunn denies Daniel Craig’s involvement in Superman: Legacy
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently took to Threads to respond to the Daniel Craig-Lex Luthor rumor. When asked whether it is true, he bluntly replied:
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“That is not true.”
So, we can be sure that the Lex Luthor casting has not been finalized yet, or else it would have been announced along with the rest of the cast before the latest actors’ strike.
The actors’ strike will now prohibit any new contracts to be signed for Superman: Legacy. Hence, those who wish to know about the actor who will play Lex Luthor must wait until the strike ends. Meanwhile, we can be sure it won’t be Daniel Craig.
Even though Gunn has denied the rumor, the James Bond actor did talk about getting involved with a Superhero role back in 2020. In an interview with Saga Magazine (via CBR), he said:
"I dreamed of being all sorts of other things – Superman, Spider-Man, the Invisible Man, even a good old-fashioned cowboy. But Bond not so much, which seems ironic now."
But now, after being done with 007, he is happy playing roles such as Benoit Blanc that are less stressful on his body. So, it may not be a superhero role unless he just has to make cameos like Balder the Brave.
Who could be Lex Luthor?
Right before David Corenswet was finalized as Superman, his name, along with two other actors, was reportedly shortlisted. In the same report from The Hollywood Reporter were the names of Nicholas Hoult, Alexander Skarsgård, and Bill Skarsgård.
Both Bill Skarsgård and Nicholas Hoult are roughly the same age. Their mannerisms and way of portrayal might differ, but both of them would offer a Lex Luthor of the same age group as Zack Snyder’s Lex Luthor (played by Jesse Eisenberg). That’s one reason why 46-year-old Alexander Skarsgård should play the part.
Another reason is – his portrayal would be different from any Lex Luthor we’ve seen so far, and he could also go on to give us President Luthor from the comics. Furthermore, the cast of Superman: Legacy is full of familiar but relatively new names. It needs a big-name A-Lister to pull the crowds in, and Alexander Skarsgård could be exactly that.
Superman: Legacy is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
