Nicholas Hoult’s journey to becoming the iconic Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman movie was far from the norm. Specifically, because the respected actor was initially auditioning to play the lead role in the highly anticipated film.

One of the first Lex Luthors that Nicholas Hoult remembers seeing as a kid is the one played by Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville, the CW series featuring Tom Welling as Clark Kent/Kal-El in a high-school coming-of-age setting.

Nicholas Hoult has suddenly turned into a baddie – in both senses of the word. The actor is embodying the Oxford Dictionary definition by taking on the role of Lex Luthor, one of the comic book world's most iconic antagonists, in director James Gunn's new Superman film.