Superman's David Corenswet Was Conflicted About Gaining Weight for Role

David Corenswet Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

is getting real about his physical transformation for his upcoming role in ’s new Superman film.

“I knew that I wanted this [movie] to be my excuse to see what it felt like to essentially gain as much weight as I could,” Corenswet, 31, revealed on the Saturday, September 28, episode of the “Manly Things (Sort Of)” podcast. “Getting to bulk up for Superman, I was looking for an excuse to really throw on some weight. I thought 210 [pounds] was going to make me happy and then I got up to 238. That was the peak.”

Corenswet, who was announced as the new Clark Kent in June 2023, elaborated on his long-running desire to gain muscle.

“I always felt skinny, and I always felt like I couldn’t fill out a T-shirt, and I always felt like I didn’t quite have the physical presence that I wanted to have,” he said. “I was 238 at my max. It was so awesome. I want to go back.”

Related: David Corenswet Suits Up in 1st Look at ‘Superman: Legacy’Getty Images (2) The DC movie universe will return to their roots with the new film Superman: Legacy, set to hit theaters in 2025. However, as of February 2024, the movie will have a new name — just Superman. The movie was announced in January 2023, just one month after Henry Cavill shared that he […]

While he loved achieving his goal of putting on weight, he also realized that gaining body mass at an accelerated rate can come with its drawbacks.

“I put on one of those crewneck sweatshirts, like an XL or XXL, and I was like, ‘I fill this out. This is amazing,’” he said. “I didn’t fit into any of my pants. And it didn’t feel great because I did it so quickly that my body just hadn’t adjusted to the extra weight and I was still trying to eat a lot.”

(L-R) Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens, David Corenswet and Will Reeve Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Corenswet’s Superman predecessor, , who played the superhero from 2013’s Man of Steel to his final appearance in 2022’s Black Adam, also underwent physical changes to play Clark Kent.

“I felt enormous pressure,” Cavill, 41, told Muscle & Fitness in 2013. “Mostly from myself to get it right. This isn’t something that you get wrong. The pressure mostly manifested when I started negotiating with myself during a workout. My head would be telling me to quit or to not push so hard and save energy for later sets by doing fewer reps, but then I’d remind myself that I had to get this right and I’d start blasting.”

Related: Celebrities Who’ve Lost or Gained Weight for Movie and TV RolesSome stars go to great lengths to get into character. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Renee Zellweger, and Christian Bale are just a few of the many celebrities who've lost or gained significant amounts of weight for movies

Cavill announced in December 2022 that he would no longer play the iconic superhero following a meeting with Gunn, 58, and producer .

“I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life,” he wrote via Instagram at the time.

Alongside Corenswet, was hired to take on the role of Lois Lane, while was tapped to play supervillain Lex Luthor.

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Audiences were given a first look at Corenswet’s transformation in May when a photo of him in costume was shared via Instagram along with a release date for the film.

“Get ready,” Gunn teased alongside the photo.

Superman will hit theaters on July 11, 2025.

In this articleHenry Cavill

Superman's David Corenswet Was Conflicted About Gaining Weight for Role

Superman's David Corenswet Was Conflicted About Gaining Weight for Role

Superman's David Corenswet Was Conflicted About Gaining Weight for Role

Superman's David Corenswet Was Conflicted About Gaining Weight for Role

Superman's David Corenswet Was Conflicted About Gaining Weight for Role