"He's a great actor. I mean, some might say he's better than David in certain ways, but he just didn't fit the role, and that's why he didn't get that," the director said of Hoult, who plays Lex Luthor in the new movie.

One of James Gunn's original Guardians of the Galaxy buddies plays the important role of Jor-El, the Man of Steel's father, in Superman.

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.