David Corenswet Opens Up About Getting in Superman Shape & Whether He Used PEDs

When David Corenswet landed the role of Superman in James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot, he knew he had to get into serious shape to fill the iconic suit. The 31-year-old actor worked hard to build his superhero physique but wanted to clear up any confusion about how he did it.

During a visit to the movie set in Cleveland last June, Corenswet spoke openly with reporters, including TheWrap, about his fitness journey. He was quick to point out that he didn’t gain 40 pounds of muscle as some might think.

“I would appreciate anybody who wants to clarify in their writing that nobody is suggesting that I gained 40 pounds of muscle,” he said firmly.

Corenswet was clear that his transformation was all natural. He stressed that he built his body “without performance enhancing drugs and without killing myself.” Instead, he followed a tough but manageable workout plan that pushed him to “the edge of my physical capabilities.”

The question of whether actors use performance-enhancing drugs, often called “natty or not,” is common on social media. Experts say that when actors quickly transform their bodies, people start wondering if they’re using something extra. Corenswet wanted to set the record straight about his weight gain.

He explained that the 40 pounds he gained from July to November wasn’t all muscle. It included a mix of muscle, water weight, and some fat, all normal for a bulking phase. “Over the course of shooting, I have been somewhere between about 25 and 30 pounds up from where I was initially,” he added, mentioning how his weight changed with the demands of filming. “When you shoot a week of fight sequences in the suit, you just lose weight.”

Corenswet started his training during the 2023 actors’ strike. He got a trainer and told them, “I want to get as big as possible within reason.” His routine was intense: he worked out for about two and a half hours a day, then took naps and made sure to get plenty of sleep at night.

Since Corenswet is naturally slim, he had to eat a lot more calories than usual. He said he mostly drank shakes to help get enough food in.

After the strike ended, he moved on to wire training for the flying scenes. He described this as “a very cool art in itself” and said it was “not intuitive at all.” Flying on wires is tricky because “if you try to fly in the way that you think you will, you won’t look right at all.” It’s all about balance.

For the fight scenes, the training was simpler. Since Superman isn’t a martial artist, the fights focused on basic punches and haymakers. Judging by the latest trailer, where Superman’s punch sends a bad guy flying, Corenswet’s training worked well.

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