Nicholas Hoult Says ‘The Batman’ Audition Was a Lot to Go ‘Through Emotionally’

Hoult ultimately lost out on the role to Robert Pattinson, but will be joining the DCU as Lex Luthor instead.

Nicholas Hoult is pulling back the curtain on what it takes to be cast as the Caped Crusader.

The “Juror #2” star said during the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that prior to auditioning to play Batman for Matt Reeves’ eponymous 2022 film, he heard that Robert Pattinson was the top casting choice.

“I remember a week before we did the Batman test, I was driving in my car and I had the radio on and they were talking on the radio how Rob was going to be the new Batman,” Hoult said. “And I was like, ‘It’s not confirmed yet! I’m auditioning next weekend. Give me a chance.'”

Of course, Pattinson was later ultimately cast. Pattinson will reprise the role for Reeves’ slated 2026 sequel.

Hoult explained that auditioning to play such an iconic character was “a lot to put yourself through emotionally,” and that losing the role was “of course it’s an emotional blow.”

Hoult continued, “Your imagination does not know…you are aware on a practical level: ‘I know I am auditioning against Rob.’ And Rob is fantastic in that movie. That was the right decision. But you get excited by the prospect. Matt [Reeves] is a fantastic director and the script. It’s a cool movie and I want to be a part of it. It’s a brilliant character.”

He added, “There’s a weird period before you can get to the acceptance and see the movie and be like that was the right choice, you go through the period of, ‘What could I have done different? Why not me?’ You run through all those things.”

Hoult previously praised Pattinson’s performance to GQ España, saying that Pattinson “did an amazing job” and admitting that he didn’t think he “would have done as good a job as him, ultimately. I don’t think I could have fit as well into the world that Matt created as Rob did.”

Now, Hoult is joining another DC property at Warner Bros.: “Superman.” Hoult was announced to be cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming James Gunn franchise tentpole film.

During “Happy Sad Confused,” Hoult credited Gunn for understanding his dismay at losing out on Batman.

“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,” Hoult said. “That was very kind of them. There was an element of them being like, ‘We like you as an actor. We want you to be in this world.'”

In the meantime, Hoult is battling a different bat and starring in the critically acclaimed “Nosferatu,” which will debut in theaters December 25 from Focus Features.