Nicholas Discovered Through Radio Broadcast That He Likely wouldn't Secure the Role of Batman
Nicholas Discovered Through Radio Broadcast That He Likely wouldn't Secure the Role of Batman
During his latest chat on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, as per a report by "Variety", Nicholas Hoult discussed his disappointment at missed opportunity to lead Matt Reeves' The Batman, which eventually went to Robert Pattinson.
"Of course, it's an emotional hit," Hoult acknowledged. "Your mind isn't aware that... you understand on a practical level: 'I'm auditioning against Rob.' And Rob is excellent in that movie. That was the right decision. But you get hyped up by the thought. Matt is a fantastic director, and the script... it's a cool movie, and I wished to be part of it. It's an amazing character. There's a strange period before you can get to the acceptance, see the movie, and say: 'That was the right choice.', you go through stages like 'what could I have done differently? Why not me?'"
During the interview, Hoult hinted at his competition with Pattinson's Batman, mentioning his discovery of Pattinson's casting via his car radio. "I remember a week before we did the Batman test, I was driving in my car, and they were discussing on the radio how Rob would be the new Batman," he shared. "And I was like, 'It's not confirmed yet! I'm auditioning next weekend. Give me a chance.'"
Although not securing the Batman role was a painful setback, Hoult awaits the opportunity to star as Alex Luthor in James Gunn's Superman, set to release in the coming year. He mentioned, "James Gunn is such a fantastic director, and I was so excited by what he was building at DC. When we spoke... because they knew I had been through [the Batman] process, they didn’t want me to necessarily have to go through that again. That was very considerate of them. There was a factor of them liking me as an actor and wanting me in this world."
Given comic book logic, it's fitting for a Jealous character to become their superhero's self-appointed archenemy. Therefore, Hoult's Luthor already has some foundations to build upon, as he confronts David Corenswet's Superman next year. It is literally Lex's central motivation. From his humble beginnings, Luthor transformed Metropolis into the city of the future, but now there's this corny alien flying around and everyone loves him instead? I was in Fury Road, goddamn it!
Regardless, if Hoult still yearns for his Batman revenge in future, he's not the worst candidate to play Bruce Wayne's envious friend, Tommy "Hush" Elliot, is he? Or perhaps even Bruce's estranged brother from another dimension, who dresses up like an owl and kills people with boomerangs. Or why not one of the various anti-Batmans who seldom thrived, like Killer Moth, Wrath, Reaper, Prometheus, Azrael, Catman, Man-Bat, etc.? Given Batman's consistent 85-year content creation, the opportunity for Hoult to play the character may arise again. The key to revenge lies in patience.
Hoult expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming technology-driven movies, specifically mentioning James Gunn's Superman, where he will be playing Alex Luthor. He remarked, "James Gunn is such a fantastic director, and I was so excited by what he was building at DC."
In an ideal future scenario, Hoult might seize the opportunity to portray one of Batman's many rivals, as he joked, "Or perhaps even Bruce's estranged brother from another dimension, who dresses up like an owl and kills people with boomerangs." This hints at a potential interest in revisiting the Batman universe.