Tyler Hoechlin's trading in his '80s mustache for a slightly more fashionable red cape. And maybe some bondage gear.

After first making a major impression as a teen actor opposite no less than 7th Heaven," Hoechlin later demonstrated his more mature skill set as alpha lycanthrope Derek Hale on MTV's "Teen Wolf."

This year, the 28-year-old performer has emerged as a talent to keep an eye on, first with his role as the uber-competitive college baseball standout McReynolds in filmmaker Supergirl," and his stint fleshing out the only-mentioned-in-the-books character Boyce Fox in the sexy sequel "Fifty Shades Darker."

With "Everybody Wants Some!!" making its Blu-ray debut on July 12th, Hoechlin chatted with Moviefone about how his career is moving faster than a speeding bullet.

Moviefone: There are acting jobs, and then there are true experiences, and I imagine that "Everybody Wants Some!!" was an experience.

Tyler Hoechlin: 100% an unbelievable experience and a dream job to the fullest extent!

What was special for you to have the kind of time you had together, to create that sense that you are a group of guys who are establishing these bonds?

Yeah, I think it was definitely the most important part of the process. I think we pretty much all agree on that. The timing is comfortable, and also I would say, Rick [Linklater] is the most creatively encouraging and inspiring person that I've worked with as far as a director goes. Just because ... from the time we showed up, he made it really clear that it wasn't a pressure in rehearsal to perform or to get it right.

It was really a time to explore who these guys were, who they were to us, and then as a group, kind of find how they work together best. So that time was really invaluable, and it gets you past that comfort level where you are kind of questioning, "Can I insult this guy without offending him?" or "Can he take a joke?" You kind of get to know that about each other really quick. Everybody was just on that same page. So we all developed a really great rapport really quickly.

With this much distance after the movie's been finished, do you still feel a special kinship with these actors?

Well, I live with one of them! [Laughs] One of them has become my roommate. We have a group text chain that goes off just about every day to every other day. Yeah, it's still a really, really close group of guys. So that experience, as you said, has really kind of carried over which is definitely a rare thing that we're all really grateful for.

Richard Linklater is one of the most down-to-earth human beings anyone could encounter, and also a gifted artist. Having worked with him now, what's your insight into why he's such a great filmmaker in so many different genres?

I think because of exactly that: I think he's such a down-to-earth guy. He hasn't lost any of that connection to just people and what people do and go through and how they experience life.

One of the things we talked about with this film was, even though it's 1980, you can kind of take that pressure away by saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Yeah, the clothes are going to be different, and some of the expressions will be different, the dance and the music will be different than it is now, but really growing up as a young guy and going through this time in your life, it's really, it's not all that different. We all kind of have those similar experiences.

So the pressure to play 1980 was really gone. I think that's why it comes off as genuine as it does. I think that's why it happens in all of his films. I think he just ... he finds people that also understand other people and can bring those experiences to the screen in a really honest and genuine way without really pressing the issue.

So many cool things are happening in your career right now. Let's start with Superman: I have a hunch that you're just as excited to play Clark Kent as you are to play the Man of Steel on "Supergirl."

Oh, absolutely! Absolutely. I think it's a part that you can't really ... it's not complete without him. So I'm definitely excited to see both sides of him.

What did it mean to get this great role, be the next in this legacy, and to figure out what you're going to do to make it your own interpretation of this great American icon?

It's definitely incredibly humbling and flattering to even be given the chance to do it. And I think, I'm just going to do as much as I can to see how to bring the true spirit of the character to the show.

I know they have instructed me not to talk about it too much before I actually get there and actually do it. I'm excited to just kind of look at it from doing it with a clean slate and not trying to replicate or duplicate anything that's been done, but just being honest to the story and how they're writing him.

Did you take your workout up to 11?

I have definitely been in the gym more than I have been in the last two years, yes! That's definitely been happening.

What was the exciting opportunity you saw in coming into the "Fifty Shades" movies? And was there anything daunting about joining that particular franchise?

I think having been a part of something that has such a passionate fandom; it's different in the fact that I'm going into something that already has that, as opposed to a show that kind of created it on its own from the beginning.

Yeah, I love James Foley. "Glengarry Glen Ross" was one of my favorite movies. So the chance to go and work with James was a really great thing. He and I have talked about other projects as well, so it was a fun time to get up there and finally work with him.

We'll bring it back to "Everybody Wants Some!!" Give me the pros and cons of an '80s mustache.

The pros of the mustache: it's definitely an ice breaker. It's definitely a conversation starter. The con is that I got caught with it when I had to renew my passport, so it's now my passport photo. Which makes going through customs quite interesting sometimes, depending on where I'm coming back from.