Nicholas Hoult is ready to dive even deeper into Lex Luthor’s mind, teasing that Man of Tomorrow will challenge how fans see Superman’s greatest enemy.

The actor first appeared as the iconic villain in James Gunn’s Superman, which introduced audiences to the DCU’s cold and calculating Lex Luthor, who already scheming from behind bars.

While that film ended with Luthor locked up in Belle Reve, fans later saw him strike a new deal in Peacemaker Season 2. Working with A.R.G.U.S. Director Rick Flag Sr., Lex agreed to help contain superpowered threats inside “Salvation,” a mysterious alternate dimension. As a result, he’s now being held in a prison free of metahumans, setting up his next big move.

When speaking to GQ, Hoult discussed Gunn’s upcoming Man of Tomorrow, a movie the filmmaker has described as belonging “just as much to Lex as it does to Superman.”

“I haven’t read it yet, but hopefully will soon, so I can’t say anything more than that. But just upon playing the character for the first time in that story, through my research and prep, I feel like there’s a lot more for me to explore and for us to explore. So I’m excited that we are getting the chance to go back and do that.”

Hoult also opened up about what draws him to playing such a ruthless, obsessive genius.

“I do really enjoy it. I suppose there’s a freedom in playing a villain because there’s nothing you can do that could be wrong. It’s really interesting to try and get into the mindset and psyche of those people and their obsessive nature and their belief system or ideology.”

And it sounds like he’s just as thrilled to reunite with Gunn for the sequel:

“Also, I loved working with James Gunn. I think he’s a wonderful director and creative person and mind. I just spoke to him a week or two ago about the sequel and his idea for that.

“So I’m really excited to play that character again because I feel like there’s a lot to explore with him and expectations to subvert. It’s going to be exciting to step back into those shoes again.”

Gunn himself has hinted that Man of Tomorrow will be just as much about Lex’s journey as it is about Superman’s.

“Man of Tomorrow will not be the same as Superman,” Gunn said last month. “And it is Lex’s story too, so it’s the two of them. That colors it in a totally different way.”

Early teaser art for the film shows Superman and Lex both fighting alongside each other, with Luthor suited up in his iconic green and purple War Suit straight out of the comics. The big question now is: what could possibly force these two enemies to team up?

Many fans believe Brainiac will make his DCU debut, a villain Gunn has teased before. If that’s the case, A.R.G.U.S. could release Lex to help face the extraterrestrial threat—leading to an uneasy alliance between the Man of Steel and his greatest nemesis.

Man of Tomorrow soars into theaters on July 9, 2027.