This interview has been edited for clarity.
When it comes to actors bulking up to play a live-action superhero, Christopher Reeve set the precedent in 1978, when he added thirty pounds (14 kg) of muscle to his 189-pound (86 kg) frame to play Superman.
Since then, other actors have followed in his footsteps, from Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Christian Bale as Batman, to Chris Hemsworth as Thor presenting physically well-cut and chiselled costumed superheroes that have become the gold standard of live-action comic book adaptations.
When it comes to the Man of Steel though, Henry Cavill also impressed audiences with his shredded Superman physique, so it came as no surprise that when David Corenswet was picked as the new actor to play the Last Son of Krypton, the 31-year-old added 18kg of bodyweight to develop the jacked physique that a Kansas farmboy would naturally have.
But audiences won’t see most of that change when they catch director James Gunn’s new Superman film, as the new costume doesn’t have the obvious muscular structure of Cavill’s suit. Instead, it’s thick, padded and looks like a bad fit for Corenswet and the new Clark Kent is all for it, despite his hard work pulling off the look.
“I’ve been told that there are people who are upset about that. I love my suit. I mean, we grew together. I grew into it or and it sort of grew around me as it came together,” said the actor to Geek Culture during the Manila stopover of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Superman Global Talent Tour, with Corenswet, Gunn, and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), who takes on the iconic role of Lois Lane.
“I think the whole point, my point with my physical transformation, which was essentially just gaining about 35 pounds of muscle,” explains the rising star.
Instead, he and Gunn agreed to not present a classic superhero with “shredded abs, veins, like really harsh, hard look for a superhero, which is an amazing look and really difficult to achieve,” he explains, as the duo envisioned a Superman who embodies the warmth of a farm boy with a powerful, approachable presence.
“Our goal was to create a Superman who feels like the best kind of hug. Comfortable, substantial, but not intimidating.”
And yes, Superman’s iconic red trunks, which were removed from Cavill’s costume, make a triumphant return, with his co-star emphatically declaring them a necessity.
“I’m very pro trunks,” declares 34-year-old Brosnahan with conviction. “Obviously, we’ve seen versions where it works without them, but this Superman needed trunks.”
Brosnahan’s enthusiasm goes beyond mere costume appreciation as she had the privilege of catching glimpses of David Corenswet in the multiple versions of the suit during production, noting that some of the early iterations were somewhat comical.
“I saw a version with trunks built into the suit, and they were a little large. They walked interestingly,” she says with a playful laugh.
But her final verdict was unequivocal – “I think the trunks are hot.”
And her statement is more than just a quip, but also an endorsement of the classic Superman design that has been debated by comic book fans for decades. Regardless of whether audiences are pro red trunks or not, its presence is more than just a nostalgic nod to comic book history, because they are now an integral part of this Superman’s identity and charm.
And it’s that simple statement made by Brosnahan which also clearly exemplifies the comfortable on-screen chemistry she has with Corenswet, which both actors describe as a dynamic of mutual challenge and support. And while there have been different incarnations of Lois and Clark across multiple live-action adaptations, this version is different in that during a separate interview, Gunn revealed that the couple he is writing for is set within the first three months when they are dating, and Lane knows that her colleague and professional rival at the Daily Planet is also Superman.
“I knew I wasn’t going to sneak anything by her,” Corenswet laughs, praising Brosnahan’s incisive presence during their screen tests and filming.
Brosnahan reciprocates the sentiment, noting Corenswet’s extraordinary ability to be fully present in a scene while simultaneously maintaining an almost superhuman awareness of his surroundings, a quality that seems perfectly suited to his Superman persona.
“I think that was something that came naturally to us, and something that I feel like we got to really experiment with levels in as far as where they’re at in their relationship at any given time.”
Superman soars to cinemas in Singapore on 10 July.
Yonk is a geek who is fortunate enough to have an equally geeky Star Wars fan for a wife, who owns a LEGO Millennium Falcon encased in a glass coffee table as their home’s centre-piece.
Ting Wei
Si Jia
Kevin Low
