Superman star Nicholas Hoult reveals the "magic" moment when David Corenswet first flew onto set as the Man of Steel: "I felt like I was witnessing the magic of cinema"

Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor in Superman — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Superman stars Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan have first-hand experience of witnessing David Corenswet’s highly-anticipated portrayal of the iconic DC superhero – and are finally sharing the details.

Appearing on stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the acting duo – who play Lex Luthor and Lois Lane in the 2025 summer blockbuster – opened up about their magical on-set memories to an amped-up crowd of cinema owners and media, including GamesRadar+.

"I have a very clear memory," recalled Hoult. "I was on a set where David was dressed as Superman. He was flying on to the set and the bright sun was illuminating him from behind – and it was one of those moments where I felt like I was witnessing the magic of cinema in first person and in real time."

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Attempting to stay in character as the villainous Lex Luthor on the sidelines of the set, the British actor continued: "I was sitting there thinking, 'I’m evil, I hate him, et cetera.' But I also felt this little warmth in my tummy and I had a little stupid grin on my face. I remember thinking, 'This is magic.'"

Glancing around the top-secret set, Hoult was excited to see the rest of the cast and crew exhibiting the same feelings. "I turned around to see another 50 people in the room and they’ve all got that same expression on their face as they’re watching him," the actor explains.

Speaking to the crowd with a smile on her face, the Lois Lane star added "I think I turned to you – and I don’t know if I'm allowed to curse in here – but I said, 'Dude, you’re fucking Superman… This is crazy!' And David was like, 'Yes, I know. I’ve been here for many, many months.'"

From an early age, I’ve been obsessed with movies and television, which helped shape my career in journalism. Originally from London, I moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to take a deep dive into Hollywood – and it’s been an incredible ride. For many years, I served as the Hollywood Correspondent for Total Film, but my articles have also been published in Radio Times, SFX, Digital Spy Hello, and many other outlets.