Summary

Henry Cavill underwent a major physical transformation to play Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel , enlisting the help of a renowned trainer and adding bulk to his already-muscular appearance.
Cavill’s transformation into Superman developed gradually, as seen in prior projects including The Tudors, Blood Creek and Immortals .
Despite no longer playing Superman, Cavill has retained his muscular physique and continues to take on action-heavy roles in movies and TV shows like Mission: Impossible – Fallout and The Witcher .

Prior to appearing as Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, in 2013’s Man of Steel, actor Henry Cavill undertook a major transformation into DC’s most iconic superhero. Long before the DCEU’s reboot into the new DC Universe, Henry Cavill’s casting as Superman was announced in January 2011, prior to Man of Steel’s 2013 release. After a previous run of small roles and missing out on major characters such as Superman in Superman Returns, Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise, Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise and James Bond in Casino Royale, Man of Steel was a major career boost for Cavill, but this also marked a boost for him physically.

British actor Henry Cavill portrayed Clark Kent’s Superman in three major DCEU projects, including Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, before he was relegated to being seen only in cameos. Warner Bros. was met with major criticism over its handling of Cavill’s Superman, and the final nail in the coffin came after a direct sequel to Man of Steel was canceled for good and Cavill was dropped from the role during DC Studios’ 2022 reshuffle. Despite no longer playing Superman, Henry Cavill has retained his muscular physique while performing in more recognizable roles since, but his initial transformation into Superman is still impressive.

DC’s New Superman Must Fix Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent Mistake

Henry Cavill Packed On Serious Muscle To Play Superman

Henry Cavill’s transformation in preparation for his role in Man of Steel has been well documented over the years, including in a 2018 article by Men’s Health celebrating the actor’s 34th birthday. Between 2001 and 2012, Cavill took on a range of smaller roles, with not all of them having the need to show off his physique. 2007’s The Tudors and 2009’s Blood Creek showed off Cavill’s leaner appearance, but this changed drastically for 2011’s Immortals . Cavill’s muscular frame as Theseus, though without the bulk of Superman, was perhaps accurate for Immortals’ setting, and this also marked the beginning of his transformation into the DCEU’s Man of Steel.

According to Men’s Health, for his role in Man of Steel, Henry Cavill enlisted the help of Mark Twight, a trainer at Gym Jones – which is widely regarded as “the world’s toughest gym.” This allowed Cavill to retain his muscular appearance but add more bulk than his previous appearance in Immortals. Since then, Cavill’s physique hasn’t changed all that much, as he has retained the Superman shape for latter roles in further DCEU projects, along with 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout, 2019’s The Witcher and 2020’s Enola Holmes. This muscular appearance has allowed Cavill to fully embody the more action-heavy roles he’s taken on following his departure as Superman.

DC’s New Superman Looks To Be Following In Cavill’s Footsteps

Henry Cavill was confirmed to not be returning as Superman in the DC Universe reboot in late 2022, followed by the announcement that 2025’s Superman: Legacy would be fully reinventing the hero. Hollywood and The Politician’sDavid Corenswet was cast as the DC Universe’s Clark Kent in June 2023, and since then, David Corenswet has also been undergoing a major transformation, seemingly following in Cavill’s footsteps. DC Comics’ Superman has a very distinctive physical appearance, so it’s no wonder some of the leaner actors cast in the iconic role, including Corenswet and Henry Cavill, have bulked up prior to filming, bringing a more imposing, superhuman physique to DC’s legendary Superman.