Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston may have inadvertently fueled rumors that he'll play the villain in Warner Bros.' Man of Steel sequel when he joked last month that, “I like Lex Luthor. I think he’s misunderstood. He’s a lovable, sweet man.” And now, nearly three weeks later, the three-time Emmy winner is trying to rein in some of the speculation.

While speaking with The Boston Globe about starring as Lyndon B. Johnson in the play All the Way, Cranston was of course asked about the widely circulated report that he'll portray Lex Luthor in no fewer than six movies.

“Six?" the actor laughed. "This is all news to me. I think that maybe my name is bandied about because I’m known to be bald. ‘What bald guy can we get?’ The reality is they can take any actor and shave his head or put a bald cap on him.”

Indeed, the Cranston rumor first surfaced early last month, around the same time famously bald actor Mark Strong (Green Lantern, Sherlock Holmes) was mentioned for the role of Superman's arch-nemesis.

Although the Globe didn't seem entirely convinced by Cranston's dismissal of the report -- the writer followed up by asking whether he'd consider calling Gene Hackman for advice about the character -- the actor makes it fairly clear his mind is on other, non-Superman-related projects.

Following All the Way, he'll direct another episode of Modern Family, and then, “I think I’ll relax the rest of the year. There’s some irons in the fire, things that people are talking about, but nothing is set.”

The Man of Steel sequel, which apparently will be called Superman vs. Batman or Batman vs. Superman, is expected to begin shooting in Michigan in early 2014. The film, which stars Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, opens July 17, 2015.