Nicholas Hoult Talks Losing ‘The Batman’ Lead Alongside Roles In ‘Top Gun’ & ‘Mission: Impossible’ Sequels

British actor Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”) is no stranger to studio blockbusters playing a young version of Beast in the popular “X-Men” franchise and had a standout but one-off role in George Miller’s acclaimed “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Hoult, doing press rounds to promote “Renfield,” is now speaking to The Guardian (via Variety) about his recent run of high-profile acting opportunities that he’s missed out on. Some of those include the lead role in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” as he did a screen test to play Bruce Wayne, along with supporting roles opposite Tom Cruise in the billion-dollar hit, “Top Gun: Maverick,” and the two “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” installments from writer/director Christopher McQuarrie.

READ MORE: ‘Nosferatu’: Nicholas Hoult Excited To Meet Robert Eggers’ Demands On Upcoming Horror Remake

“I screen-tested for [‘The Batman’] and didn’t get it,” Hoult told The Guardian. “Screen-tested for ‘Top Gun,’ didn’t get it. Then I got the call from Tom Cruise: ‘Hey, how about “Mission Impossible?” ‘Ok. Got it. Then I had to drop out because I was already attached to do some more of ‘The Great.’”

Robert Pattinson obviously ended up taking on that part in “The Batman” and will reprise that superhero part in a second installment that is said to be due in 2025, alongside rumblings that he’ll appear in “The Penguin,” a spinoff series at Max that focuses on the criminal underworld of Gotham and Colin Farrell’s Oz. The “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” role was expected to see Hoult playing a hardboiled antagonist across two films, but that part was said to have transferred over to veteran actor Esai Morales (“Titans”). However, it’s unclear what exactly that “Maverick” part would have been, but Miles Teller’s Rooster and Glen Powell’s Hangman are good bets.

We don’t really need to feel too bad for Hoult as the actor is getting plenty of meaty roles to keep him occupied with “The Menu,” Taylor Sheridan’s “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” the acclaimed Oscar-winning film “The Favourite,” and the upcoming horror remake “Nosferatu” from Robert Eggers (“The Northman”) keeping him on the toes with plenty of great material to work with. On the franchise front, it’s worth mentioning Hoult just happens to be in the right age range to play the new James Bond if producers end up casting a British actor in their early 30s.

“Renfield,” which co-stars Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage, is currently in theaters now. And speaking of what’s next, THR reports that Hoult will star alongside Toni Collette in Clint Eastwood’s next movie, shooting this summer, “Juror No. 2.”