When the comic book nerds first caught wind of Henry Cavill hanging up his cape as the Last Son of Krypton, there were plenty of groans and grumbles. The real concern, however, was whether the studio could ever find someone worthy of continuing Cavill’s epic run as Superman. While fans eventually came around when David Corenswet swooped in, it turns out this casting was not just a shake-up for the diehards but a major game-changer for Corenswet too. The actor took the role as his ultimate excuse to bulk up and undergo a jaw-dropping physical transformation.

Looking back on his path to becoming Superman, Corenswet revealed the unexpected challenges he faced—ones that would remind anyone of Cavill’s superhero grind.

Anyone destined to become Superman has that built-in drive to go the extra mile, whether it is Henry Cavill or David Corenswet. Corenswet recently popped up on the Manly Things (sort of) Podcast and took a trip down memory lane, admitting he was dubbed a “string bean” growing up. Although he hit the gym, his inconsistency never bothered him to track his progress. But once Superman came calling, it gave him the perfect “excuse” to pack on some serious muscle.

Corenswet was not exactly feeling the superhero proportions he had in mind with his “physical presence”, especially at a towering 6’4” with just 165 lbs to back it up. He reminisced about how he would jump up 5 lbs every couple of years and think that was easy. But then came that moment of truth when he hit 190 lbs and still felt like something was missing. That is when he decided to go all in and bulk up to 238 lbs.

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It was like grabbing the golden ticket to not just bulk up, but also take a shot at something big in Hollywood—while secretly wishing he could throw down in a professional fight. Surprisingly, looking at Corenswet’s preparations also takes one back to Cavill’s transformation.

Before snagging the lead role in Man of Steel, Henry Cavill was rocking a leaner look in Immortals. Although the 6’1” actor weighed 170 pounds, he needed to bulk up to don the red cape. Mark Twight, who came on board as Cavill’s trainer, laid down the law that Cavill had to get at least 10 hours of sleep every night. Cavill’s workout routine was no joke, featuring deadlifts, front and back squats, and kettlebell swings.

To make those epic hand-to-hand combat scenes look effortless, he even sparred with his trainer. Cavill made it clear back then to USA Today that there is no shortcut to becoming Superman because that is not what he represents and he was not about to turn to steroids. Now, with the same grinding mindset in his successor, it is clear that Superman is truly cut from a different cloth.

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What do you think of David Corenswet's journey to becoming Superman? Let us know in the comments below!