In a new interview with GQ, celebrity trainer Paolo Mascitti is revealing the tips and tricks he used to turn the lean David Corenswet into a jacked, powerhouse ahead of filming on the DCU's Superman.
Said Mascitti, "This is a James Gunn film, and he has a specific vision of the entire project. David had been working out intensively before I met him, but he’s naturally a very lean guy. He’s 6’6” but we wanted to put more bulk on him. He probably went from 200lbs to 240lbs, but some of that mass will be shed as he continues to tone up.”
He revealed that he and Corenswet had very intense training sessions for about 5 months before filming started on Superman. However, even though the cameras are now rolling, they're still training.
"He’s very busy right now so we’re only fitting in three or four sessions a week, but he’s still working out for two hours a day...He is Superman. James Gunn is amazing at casting people, and this guy was born to be Superman. Ask any cast or crew member, David is the nicest guy, and I think, the perfect Superman.”
The interview eventually took a more humorous turn as Mascitti revealed that Corenswet's "kryptonite" during training was cereal.
"Half of his training had to be done over FaceTime and half in person as he wasn’t in Los Angeles all the time. We’d speak remotely and I’d ask him about his diet and he’d be eating cereal! He’d ask What’s wrong with cereal!? But that’s why he’s the perfect Superman, he has a realistic expectation of himself and the role."
In terms of how they added on size for Corenswet, Mascitti stated that David's training started with a caloric surplus and big, traditional compound movements.
They started with 4 sets of 10 reps, upping the weight with each subsequent set. An example workout would be:
- Incline Dumbell Press
- Bench press / cable fly superset
- Seated overhead shoulder press / front raise superset
- Reverse triceps extension / bicep curl superset
- Squats
- Reverse to forward lunge superset with kettlebell
- Leg raises
- CrossFit sit-ups
- Incline treadmill run
As mentioned above, perform 4 sets of 10 reps for each exercise, progressively overloading each set.
Earlier this week, James Gunn, DC Comics, and Warner Bros. unleashed the first official image of the Superman suit, likely due to the fact that filming is set to leave the tightly-guarded confines of the Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia and film on-location in Macon.
In addition to the on-location filming in Macon, Georgia, the cast and crew will also be traveling to Ohio soon, where they'll likely shoot at a site that could potentially be used for the Hall of Justice.
It was also recently revealed that Gun will be pulling double-duty over the next few months, as he'll also be helming a few episodes of Peacemaker season 2, which is also filming at Trillith.
The James Gunn-directed (and written) film stars David Corenswet as Kal-El/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
Rounding out the cast are Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, María Gabriela de Faría as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Terence Rosemore as Otis, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.
Additionally, Nicholas Hoult has been confirmed by Gunn to portray Lex Luthor in the film. Milly Alcock was also recently cast as Supergirl and is also expected (but unconfirmed) to appear, as well.
More recently Pruitt Taylor Vince was cast as Jonathan 'Pa' Kent, while Neva Howell signed on to play Martha 'Ma' Kent.
Currently set for release on July 11, 2025, Superman: Legacy Superman is the first film in Gunn's reboot of the DCEU.