It looks like Dave Bautista won't be playing Lex Luthor in Superman: Legacy. The actor has confirmed he hasn't spoken to writer/director James Gunn about the upcoming DC movie, which probably rules him out of the running.
The update comes after Deadline reporter Justin Kroll shared that Gunn had spoken to a Guardians of the Galaxy 3 actor about taking on the role of the DC villain, and Gunn himself revealed that at least one Guardians star will be in the new Superman movie.
"Nope! No conversation," Bautista wrote on an Instagram post by ComicBook.com, which was captioned "we're definitely team @DaveBautista for Lex Luthor." The Drax actor added: "No hurting people."
New casting reports have offered conflicting information on who might be the next Lex Luthor, but it would seem that Nicholas Hoult has emerged as a frontrunner (per The Hollywood Reporter). Deadline, meanwhile, simply says that Gunn is speaking to "A-list names" he has previously worked with about the part.
Updates on the potential next Clark Kent and Lois Lane have also surfaced, too, with David Corenswet said to be the top candidate for Superman, while potential Lois actors include Emma Mackey, Samara Weaving, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rachel Brosnahan.
We probably have a while longer to wait before we hear anything more on Superman: Legacy castings, since the film doesn't arrive until July 11, 2025. Not much is known about what the film will be about, either – what is known is that it will focus on a young Clark Kent as a reporter at the Daily Planet.
While you wait for Superman: Legacy, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else the studio has on the way.
