‘Superman’ star David Corenswet talks about intense weight gain for role

Hollywood star David Corenswet has opened up on his intense weight gain journey to portray the Man of Steel in the upcoming “Superman” movie.

Director James Gunn in June 2023 announced that the actor, best known as the lead of the recent Netflix series ‘Hollywood,’ will take on the iconic role for ‘Superman.’

In a recent interview with a US media outlet, David Corenswet talked about undergoing a major physical change in preparation for the role.

“I wasn’t 238 (pounds) when we started shooting. I was 238 at my max. I didn’t fit into any of my pants,” he said.

The Hollywood star revealed facing difficulties in maintaining his peak weight throughout the production process of ‘Superman.’

According to the actor, transformation for the role “didn’t feel great” as his body had not yet adjusted to all of the extra weight he had gained.

David Corenswet jokingly said that he had become a 2XL when donning a Champion sweatshirt during a table read for the film.

“That was at the peak of my bulk. And then I slowly lost weight before we started shooting. I started shooting at about 228, 230…I know I wanted this to be my excuse to see what it felt like to gain essentially as much weight as I could,” he added.

Directed by James Gunn, ‘Superman’ is scheduled to hit theatres on July 11, 2025.

In May this year, Gunn revealed the new suit for Corenswet’s Superman in the upcoming movie.

In a Threads post, the filmmaker wrote that the first look photo “was taken on set by Jess Miglio and was entirely in-camera.”

The photo showed the suit in a dirty and weathered state as fans suggested that Superman would be seen involved in dirty fighting in the movie.

It is to be noted here that the movie was initially titled “Superman: Legacy,” however, Gunn later revealed the titled underwent a change and the movie will now be simply called ‘Superman’.