Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor on Smallville, asked Superman director James Gunn why he wasn’t cast in the DCU movie.

Of all of the small screen supervillains, Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor stands near – if not at – the top. Even though the likes of Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg, and more all played the key Superman baddie in various forms, Rosenbaum’s interpretation is S-Tier for a lot of fans. But don’t expect to see him in James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie, despite Rosenbaum’s efforts.

Appearing at Nashville Comiccon, Rosenbaum said he actually asked Gunn why he wasn’t given a shot at Superman. “I asked him, ‘Why am I not in Superman? Why am I not in the movie somehow?’…It was fine, though. I wish him all the happiness.” Rosenbaum continued his praise for Gunn, adding, “He deserves all the success he has. He’s enormously talented. When it’s the right thing, he’ll ask me. Or he won’t. And that’s aside from friendship. When your friends go off and do big things, you say, ‘Hey, they know I’m here. They know my number.’ And you just hope for the best.”

Instead of Michael Rosenbaum, Nicholas Hoult has shaved his dome for James Gunn’s Superman. And while Rosenbaum crushed the character on Smallville and he has a huge following because of his take, it might have been tough to see him doing Lex Luthor on the big screen; his performance was impactful enough on Smallville, we don’t necessarily need to see him give it a go for Gunn. Then again, Rosenbaum never specifically said he inquired about Lex Luthor…

Rosenbaum is no doubt protective of Lex Luthor, even making Gunn promise him that the version in 2025’s Superman will “have gravitas…he’ll be Lex Luthor. He won’t be playing Lex Luthor but he’s more acting like this character…or goofy or crazy! He’s gonna be something that’s grounded and real.” From there, Gunn took a bit of a dig at Gene Hackman’s performance, although some fans initially believed he was bashing Jesse Eisenberg.

Do you think Michael Rosenbaum would have been a strong choice as Lex Luthor for James Gunn’s Superman or is his legacy as the character best left for Smallville? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.