In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hoult recalled that he watched Smallville during his youth, adding that he received advice from Michael Rosenbaum - the actor who played Luthor in the show - prior to his work on Superman.

Superman's star Nicholas Hoult revealed Smallville actor Michael Rosenbaum's reaction to his casting as Lex Luthor and the advice he gave.

In James Gunn’s rebooted DC Universe, Hoult brings a sharp, layered take to one of DC’s original super-villains, Lex Luthor. He’s obsessive, determined, relentless, and ruthless—willing to use any means, including shaping public opinion and exploiting others' abilities, to outmaneuver the Man of Steel.