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

David Corenswet is getting real about his physical transformation for his upcoming role in James Gunn’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.”

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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.”

Corenswet’s Superman predecessor, Henry Cavill, 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.”

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

“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, Rachel Brosnahan was hired to take on the role of Lois Lane, while Nicholas Hoult was tapped to play supervillain Lex Luthor.

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.