Is there padding under that suit, or are you just happy to be playing Superman? When you sign up to play the most powerful superhero in the DC universe, you commit to certain aspects. One absolutely needs to be the physicality of the part. Just ask Henry Cavill, who bulked up significantly when it was his turn to portray the Man of Steel. And now, as we patiently wait to see what newcomer David Corenswet brings to the role of Kal-El, the actor is opening up about the requisite diet and training. And based on what he’s saying, there’s no way I’d be able to maintain this.
David Corenswet recently taped an appearance on the Manly Things podcast, and in preparation for that landing, the actor answered some fan questions, one of which related to the diet he maintained while bulking up to play Superman. Here’s what Corenswet shared:
When I was bulking, somewhere between 4,500 and 5,000 calories a day. When I was keeping track. Which was three meals, two 1,200-calorie shakes, and a bedtime snack of half a carton to a full, 32-ounce carton of Greek yogurt.
I’m not a calorie counter. According to WebMD, a normal adult male needs 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day. David Corenswet claims that he was doing 5,000 calories a day in an effort to put on weight and mass to play Superman. That’s insanity. Undoubtedly, Corenswet was working out simultaneously to turn all of that into muscle. But still, the actor was quick to point out:
It was not fun. I don’t recommend it unless you have a reason to gain 38 pounds in four months.
There’s an abnormal amount of attention paid to actors who undergo physical transformations for comic book roles, from Robert Pattinson’s workout regime for The Batman to the incredibly rigorous training that Hugh Jackman undergoes every time that he signs up to play Wolverine. The body usually can only undergo so much, which is exactly why Jackman decided he’d stop playing Logan years ago. At least, until Ryan Reynolds lured him back.
But Superman represents a different standard. He’s literally the man of steel. He can’t look like a 150-pound weakling, or we won’t buy into his mystique as the leader of the in-development DCU. We’ve seen plenty of photos of Corenswet on the set of Superman, in his costume. And even that official photo of Superman getting into his suit. And now we will know what’s going on underneath the suit. Well, you know what I’m talking about.
Superman is the first upcoming DC movie in the anticipated DCU, but it won’t be the first creative step in the series. For that, we only have to wait until December, when the animated Creature Commandos lands on Max, and giving DC fans a new super-powered ensemble for which to cheer. The best part about animation? Cartoons don’t have to consume that many calories!
