DC Films

David Corenswet goes deep on his Superman body transformation

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 11:00 AM ET

David Corenswet is Superman now, the latest actor to step into the role of the Man of Steel on the big screen. This is the first big swing of James Gunn's tenure running the DC films over at Warner Bros. Also, there hasn't really been a successful Superman since Christopher Reeve, so no pressure, guys.

Prior to being cast as Superman, Corenswet was largely an unknown, while was presumably the intent. How did the actor prepare for the biggest opportunity of his professional career? Corenswet went through the nuts and bolts of it for the folks over at GQ.

This was for GQ, and Corenswet is playing a superhero, so naturally a good portion of the video is dedicated to how Corenswet got into Superman shape. He evidently put on 45 pounds for the role, and the intent was for that to be mostly muscle. This isn't Christian Bale doing one of his body transformations to play a guy who has gone to seed. Of course, there was more to it as well, and Corenswet talks about being cast and how he approached playing the character of Superman, right down to his mannerisms.

The point often made when discussing Superman as a character translating to film and television is that he's not the most-dynamic character by his nature. His power is overcranked and he's not complicated like a Batman or an Iron Man. Will Corenswet succeed? "Superman" hits theaters July 11. We'll find out soon enough.

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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