Nicholas Hoult Shakes the Devil’s Hand, Says He’s Only Kidding
Is it possible to ethically consume Superman movies under capitalism?
About two weeks ago, Superman star Nicholas Hoult was cast in Harry Potter, the forthcoming HBO series based on the novels by noted bigot J.K. Rowling. Given Rowling's commitment to using her Harry Potter royalties to attack trans rights in Britain and abroad, queer and progressive activists largely view the series as a blight on the resume of anybody who takes it on. Hoult, like Harry and the Hendersons star John Lithgow, was especially surprising given his history of allyship for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Whether the blowback from fans made any impression at all — it certainly hasn’t for Lithgow — is unclear, but today, Hoult backed out of the project, citing “scheduling conflicts.” That’s the classic Hollywood excuse for any change an actor, a studio, or both doesn’t want to dig any deeper into. Of course, Hoult is also a very in-demand actor, and could have legitimate scheduling conflicts.
Hoult will be replaced with Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington, another actor with years of history working at Warner Bros. While Hoult may have been surprised by the intensity of the response to his casting, it’s unlikely Harrington will feel the same way, having played the same role in Amazon/Audible’s full-cast audio productions of the Harry Potter books.
"It was a really simple yes, because I love the character," Harrington told Variety in 2025. "As far as cameos in a series go, you don't get much more entertaining and fun to do as an actor than Gilderoy Lockhart. It was a no-brainer."
By and large, those who criticized Hoult for his choice to work with Rowling aren’t impressed by the move.
It’s understandable. In They Might Be Giants’ song “Your Racist Friend,” there’s a great line: “[You] can’t shake the devil’s hand and say you’re only kidding.” The idea is, you’ve already made your deal with the devil. Having buyers’ remorse doesn’t change the fact that you bought in to start with.
Hoult’s involvement with Man of Tomorrow, next year’s Superman sequel, is certainly a blight on the film now. Of course, if Paramount has closed the Warner Bros. merger by then, it may be irrelevant.
