Superman actor David Corenswet received a valuable piece of advice from Superman director James Gunn, and it will certainly be reflected on screen when the 2025 DCU movie hits theaters. There’s a lot riding on James Gunn’s Superman, as it’s the DCU’s first live-action movie, features the introduction of several DC characters, and establishes the beginning of Superman’s DCU journey, which will likely evolve throughout the DCU’s first chapter and beyond. Naturally, David Corenswet’s performance in the тιтular role is essential to Superman‘s success.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Superman star David Corenswet reveals James Gunn advised him to focus on training his shoulders and his vulnerability. Corenswet explains that he found the process enriching, as spending almost all day every day in the gym allowed him to dwell in his solitude and understand Superman much better. Read Corenswet’s full comments below:
“I started in the gym. That was the second thing James said to me was ‘I want to work on your shoulders and your vulnerability.’ And so, about a month into my intense gym routine I realized that I was preparing the role mentally by spending every day, several hours, by myself, lifting very heavy things. There’s a certain solitude that comes in the gym. You’re just there with yourself and you’re the only one holding yourself accountable. (…) I think Superman has a certain solemn loneliness to him, where he wants so desperately to be connected to humanity, and he’ll never quite be one of them, so I found a little piece of that early on.”
What David Corenswet’s Comments About Preparing For Superman Mean
David Corenswet’s Understanding Of Superman’s Innermost Traits Is As Important As His Physique
At 6’4″, David Corenswet is the tallest Superman actor so far. Corenswet also shows off an impressive physical transformation in Superman, as he built a lot of muscle in a relatively short period of time. To achieve his physical tranformation, David Corenswet trained hard at the gym, gaining the discipline, patience, and determination that a character like Superman is famous for. James Gunn’s advice to train his body and mind simultaneously was certainly an inspired way to ensure Corenswet would understand Superman’s psyche much better.
While the Man of Steel doesn’t have to train his body in order to maintain his strength due to his Kryptonian nature, Superman’s humble double life bears certain parallels to arduous physical training. As David Corenswet accurately describes, maintaining an intense training routine requires a certain degree of self-accountability and commitment. Likewise, Superman’s near-unlimited power grants him an unparalleled amount of freedom, yet he chooses to live a life of duty that burdens him with responsibility and loneliness. Superman’s strength goes beyond “lifting heavy things,” just as the true impact of training one’s body goes beyond lifting heavy weights.
Our Take On David Corenswet’s Comments About Preparing For Superman
Every Superman Actor Must Learn The Two Sides Of Superman’s Strength
Prior to David Corenswet, all previous live-action Superman actors trained their bodies to a certain degree. For instance, Henry Cavill achieved a bodybuilder physique during his tenure as the DCEU’s Man of Steel, and Christopher Reeve gave his Superman portrayal a more subdued but still impressive, classic wrestler-inspired physique. Each Superman actor has also approached Superman’s psyche and inner conflict a different way, but all of them have captured the hero’s bittersweet outcast nature.
Source: Entertainment Tonight
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