‘X-Men’: Nicholas Hoult is Willing to Return as Beast!!

Nicholas Hoult is about to step back into the superhero genre in a big way this year as Lex Luthor in James Gunn‘s Superman. However, just because he’s focused on his bald and beautiful new villain doesn’t mean he’s closing the door entirely to the folks at Marvel. Nearly six years ago, he transformed into genius scientist Hank McCoy, better known as Beast, for the final time in X-Men: Dark Phoenix on what was formerly 20th Century Fox. While he expressed at the time that he’d be willing to carry on as the hairy blue mutant in the MCU, no new movies starring the beloved team have appeared on the big screen since. During his panel at MegaCon on Friday which Collider was in attendance for, he reiterated that he’d still be willing to suit up once more if the opportunity arose.

Hoult was specifically asked about the character he’d like to play again, which prompted him to jump back to Beast almost immediately. First, however, he addressed the potentially long future ahead of him in the new DCU. “There’s so much I want to do with Lex [Luthor],” he said. “I hope to play that character for a while.” Superman is just the beginning of Gunn and Peter Safran‘s extensive plans, meaning he’ll likely get a lot of runway as Clark Kent’s archnemesis. The film will lay the groundwork for several features and series to come, most notably Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow which is due out next year. Actors will also be crossing over from live-action to animation and back, creating other unique opportunities for the character of Luthor to show up.

All the opportunities ahead of him as the LexCorp CEO haven’t stopped him from thinking about the future of the X-Men though. Kevin Feige has teased that the mutant squad is part of the MCU‘s plans, likely in the run-up to or the aftermath of Avengers: Secret Wars. Whatever happens, they’ll remain on his radar, especially since Beast was such a significant part of his career starting from X-Men: First Class in 2011 and because an Avengers X-Men team-up has long been at the top of fans’ wishlists. “I’m also excited to see what Marvel does with the X-Men,” he continued. “I’d be honored to play Beast again.”

Beast Has Technically Already Appeared in the MCU

At the time, Hoult had big shoes to fill when he stepped into the role of Beast. He was taking over for the widely loved Kelsey Grammer who was hailed for his portrayal of the character in X-Men: The Last Stand. Technically, he’s even beaten Hoult to the punch, appearing in a mid-credits scene in The Marvels. Grammer shared back in 2023 that “some conversations” had occurred following his return, but nothing has been confirmed regarding any future appearances. Hoult played the doctor-turned-beastly blue mutant in four films during the Fox Marvel era and, though he wasn’t as well received, he’d be bringing a wealth of new experience to the table for Hank if he were ever asked to return. He’s been very in demand of late, with appearances of late in Renfield, Juror #2, and, more recently, Robert Eggers‘s Nosferatu.