K.T Simpson
Bradley Cooper was said to be have been offered the role of Lex Luthor in writer-director James Gunn’s Superman Legacy.
That’s according to My Time to Shine Hello, who said Gunn had approached his Guardians of the Galaxy star to join him at the Daily Planet when the film moves forward over the coming months.
Cooper, says the outlet, passed. Either that’s because the actor is holding out for another role in DC’s universe of upcoming film adaptations – some have suggested he’d be a fine candidate for a future Green Lantern – or he’s simply not feeling the role of Luthor, isn’t known.
It was Bradley Cooper and he's not doing it https://t.co/psDc9mvOrW
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) May 14, 2023
Deadline suggested on the weekend that the version of Lex in the film could be Apex Lex Luthor, “who is not only version of the villain that has the strength to fight Superman but also would hint at a potential multiverse situation as Apex Lex did have run ins with other Luthors in various dimensions.
A list of candidates said to be up for the role of the next Superman were published by both Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter on the weekend.
While THR says there’s only one candidate on the list for the role of Kal-El’s arch-enemy Lex Luthor at this stage (Cooper now being out of the running), and that is X-Men alum Nicholas Hoult, several young actors are said to be vying for the main roles of Superman and Lois Lane.
The Hollywood Reporter says David Corenswet, who recently played the ill-fated projectionist opposite Mia Goth in Pearl, is among the top contenders to play Superman/Clark Kent. He will now advance to the next stage, which is screen testing for the film around Memorial Day or early June.
Jacob Elordi, Tom Brittney, and Andrew Richardson have also been linked to the part but it’s Corensweet who reportedly is the fave.
Deadline say Hoult is also in the mix to play Superman but other sources have debunked that claim.
As for Lois Lane, Emma Mackey, Rachel Brosnahan, Phoebe Dynevor; and Samara Weaving are “in the mix” to play Kent’s Daily Planet colleague and eventual love interest.
