Fan Expo Dallas: Tyler Hoechlin talks playing Superman and the one villain he would play

Whether you know Tyler Hoechlin from Teen Wolf or Supergirl, the actor is known to portray characters with a heart of gold. And at Fan Expo Dallas, the actor opened up about both roles and what it is like to be Superman.

If you are a fan of DC comics and the character of Superman, then you likely know that on The CW, Tyler Hoechlin is the latest actor to don the cape and make the role his own. And while there have been a few different actors to take on the iconic role, for Hoechlin, the experience seems to be a bit different from most.

During a panel at Fan Expo Dallas, the Supergirl actor was asked a number of questions about his take on Superman, from when it hit him that he was playing this iconic character, to which villain he would want to face. And of course, there were also the questions about Teen Wolf. Throughout the panel, it was clear that for Hoechlin, both of these roles were special in their own ways, and he would love the opportunity to explore more of the superhero.

Tyler Hoechlin on getting the role of Superman

One of the first questions posed to the actor was about when it hit him that he was playing Superman. According to him, while it may seem weird to most, there was never really a time when it hit him that this was who he was playing. Instead, during a meeting with Greg Berlanti, the executive producer pretty much said to him they were looking for a Superman for Supergirl. His immediate reaction was more of an “Oh, sure,” and for him, it was all more “organic.”

As Tyler Hoechlin explained, there was never really any buildup to getting the part, so he didn’t have the same kind of stress that a lot of actors have when they have to wait to learn if they got a part. Ultimately, that experience meant that even stepping into the role was done in a way that was comfortable for him. Instead, it was about establishing the character with the right tone.

On staying away from other versions of the character and coming back

And while the experience of getting the part may not have been some crazy ride of waiting and wondering, knowing that he was stepping into such iconic shoes meant wanting to do right by the character, which led to the follow-up question of whether or not he watched previous versions of the character, particularly Smallville, for inspiration.

According to Hoechlin, he “stayed away completely from any kind of Superman anything.” He said he didn’t want to focus too much on how someone else played the character and instead wanted to find his own voice for the role. He made it clear he didn’t want any outside influences to affect him, as it was more of an “ignorance is bliss” kind of thing.

Of course, for now, there is no more Superman on Supergirl, as his arc is done at the moment, so it makes sense that one of the questions the actor was asked was if he was done with the role. While there may not be any plans for Tyler Hoechlin to step back into the suit for now, he pointed out that this is television, “so you never know.” He said that until a show is completely done and wrapped, there is always the chance for a return.

Ultimately, this means that we will definitely have to wait and see what comes next. Fingers crossed that the character pops back up or even gets enough interest to inspire his own series on The CW.

Tyler Hoechlin explains how he got his inspiration

When it was the fans’ turn to ask questions, one of the first to be asked was what his inspiration was for Superman, since Hoechlin admitted that he stayed away from shows like Smallville. According to the actor, it was about looking to the character and understanding what he stands for. He also looked at events from his own life for inspiration, although he did not want to go into detail about that.

But, it was his next point that perhaps made the most sense. As Tyler Hoechlin points out, “he is not Superman to him.” As an example of what he meant by this, Hoechlin said that while people get excited to see or meet him, “To me, how excited someone gets to see me, I never get that excited to see me. I see myself in the mirror every day. I’m over it.” So for him, Superman is a responsibility based on the character’s abilities.

Ultimately, Clark Kent is just Clark Kent, and it is more about the relationships he has developed and the fact that he can do something to help others. He just does what he can to help “anytime he has the chance to do the right thing he does.”

On what villain he would want to play

While he may be playing characters known for having a heart of gold, a fan wanted to know if there was a villain he would be interested in playing. According to Tyler Hoechlin, there is, in fact, one he would want to play but also doesn’t.

As the actor pointed out, getting to play a villain would be fun because there are no rules. For a hero, you have a box to stay in. But, as a villain, you can do anything.

As for his favorite villain? It had to be DC’s very own Joker. While he would love to play the character, he also praised one Joker performance in particular saying, “What Heath Ledger did in the Dark Knight is just so phenomenal.” That performance helped to stamp the villain as one of his favorites, but he made it clear he can’t actually imagine himself playing that character.

On facing off against Lex Luthor

Although Tyler Hoechlin may want to play the Joker at some point, the ultimate Superman villain is Lex Luthor. And one fan wanted to know if he might potentially go up against Lex on Supergirl.

In response, the actor said he believes it “would be ridiculous” not to go up against Lex Luthor. As he pointed out it is the “greatest rivalry” in the Superman stories. And if it happens, he would be excited for that time.

On spending a day with his Teen Wolf character

Of course, just because he has taken on the role of Superman, that doesn’t mean he has forgotten his Teen Wolf days either. And in the midst of the panel, a fan asked Hoechlin what he would do with his character Derek if he could spend a day with him doing anything.

According to the actor, he would take him to a theme park and make him spend the day there. He said it would be about making him “chill and relax” — maybe letting him keep his phone, put in some earplugs, and have him enjoy the rides.

On how awkward it was to growl on Teen Wolf

Another fan wanted to know how awkward it was to have to actually growl as Derek. (And yes, this is definitely something we are all curious about.)

However, while we may think the growling is super awkward, Hoechlin was quick to answer by saying, “almost as awkward as doing the heat vision as Superman. Almost… but not quite.”

He explained that on Teen Wolf, he has a prosthetic on his face which hides it somewhat, and there are CGI effects to make things look better. But when he is doing the heat vision, it feels like a staring contest with Melissa Benoist, who plays Supergirl.

On potentially filming with his Teen Wolf cast members again

Finally, a fan wanted to know if he would want to film with his Teen Wolf castmates, Tyler Posey and Dylan O’Brien again in the future. His immediate answer was “of course, any day.” He said that he hopes there is a chance to make that happen in the future.

Hopefully, there will be more Superman moments in Supergirl. Or perhaps he will have the chance to appear on other DC TV shows on The CW, much like he did in the “Elseworlds” crossover. Honestly, we wouldn’t mind seeing Hoechlin getting his own series and giving us his take on Superman on a more consistent basis.