James Gunn’s “Superman” is flying into theaters this month with David Corenswet in the title role and Nicholas Hoult as the villainous Lex Luthor. But that wasn’t the role Hoult auditioned for. The “Nosferatu” and “X-Men” star originally sought the role of Superman but lost out to Corenswet in auditions.

While Jon Cryer and Michael Cudlitz have recently played versions of Lex Luthor in The CW series Supergirl and Superman & Lois, respectively, Hoult recalled growing up with Hackman’s Luthor and Rosenbaum’s Lex as “the first Lex that I was more aware of.”