While Nicholas Hoult is joining theDC Universeas Lex Luthor inSuperman, the actor had a lot of thoughts on his audition process forThe Batman. As Hoult is about to play one of the most iconic DC Comics villains inJames Gunn’s DC Universe, the idea of him previously being in the running to play a DC hero has naturally retained some interest for audiences. While Pattinson’sThe Batmancasting has become incredibly well-received, the DC audience is finally getting answers on what the audition situation was like for Hoult.
During the latest episode of theHappy, Sad, Confusedpodcast,Hoult was asked how his journey with auditioning forThe Batmanaffected him before going in for another superhero franchise like Gunn’s DC Universe. As happy as Hoult was to see that Pattinson was the right choice, the formerX-Menstar made it clear that it was an emotional rollercoaster to go through, as he shared the following:
Yeah, of course it is an emotional blow because your imagination doesn’t know! [laughs] You’re aware on a practical level. You’re like, ‘I know that I’m auditioning against Rob,’ and Rob’s fantastic in that movie. I think that was the right decision but also, you get excited about the prospect - Matt’s a fantastic director, and the script and everything I was like, ‘This is going to be a cool movie. I want to be part of it, and a brilliant character.’ So then there’s obviously a weird period before you can get to the acceptance and see the movie and be like, ‘Oh yeah that works, that was the right choice.’ You have to go through the period of like, ‘Oh what could I have done differently?’ You run through all those things, obviously.
How Nicholas Hoult Felt About His Batman Audition Process Being Public
In the same interview with Josh Horowitz, Hoult stressed that, as an actor, trying out for a role like the Dark Knight is emotionally heavy. However, what was perhaps more challenging for the British actor was the fact that hisThe Batmanaudition path was incredibly public, as he emerged as a frontrunner for Bruce Wayne, saying the following:
And then was I hesitant about going in [for Superman]? Under different circumstances, I would have been, yeah.Because it’s a lot to put yourself through emotionally, and also even more so than, it’s also weird now that this process has suddenly somewhat become public.There’s plenty of times that people go and audition for things and you never hear about it. You never know and that’s happening all the time. But now there’s this weird thing, and it’s only public for people that care.
Most people day today don’t care about this stuff, but it feels weird then because you’re like ‘Oh…’ and it’s one thing to have your failures, it’s one another thing to have them publicly broadcast, seemingly to everyone. It adds an element of drama to it, I suppose. I remembered a week before we did The Batman test, I was driving in my car, and I had the radio on, and they were like and they were talking on the radio about how Rob was going to be the new Batman and I was like, ‘Well, it’s not confirmed yet.’ I was like, ‘I’m auditioning next weekend, give me a chance.’
In the end, Hoult was happy that Pattinson became the latestlive-action Batman actor,as the Matt Reeves-directed film was incredibly well-received, includinghis performance as the DC icon. The same thing would then happen to Hoult during theSupermanauditions, as he was first reported to be a candidate for the Man of Tomorrow.
This would also be repeated when Hoult was then in the running for Lex inSuperman. As much as the studio may have tried to keep these audition processes under wrap, Hollywood trades will likely always be able to learn in one way or another when some of these actors are up for massive roles.
Our Take On Nicholas Hoult’s Batman Audition Comments
From everything Hoult stated, it is perfectly understandable to have this frustration in how public hisThe Batmanaudition ended up being to the world. But it is still great, despite this being another addition toHoult’s lost movie roles, to hear his support for Pattinson. While Hoult may not be inThe Batmanuniverse, 2025 will finally kick off his DC Universe era when he stars as Lex in Gunn’sSupermanmovie opposite David Corenswet.
The Batman
Cast
The Batman follows a young Bruce Wayne as he investigates a sadistic serial killer targeting key political figures in Gotham. As he delves deeper, he is confronted by the city’s hidden corruption and questions surrounding his own family’s legacy.
