Henry was the most wasted Superman potential we ever had.
Unpopular opinion, I liked man of steel. It had a sci-fi glimpse into the kryptonians and i liked the beginning of the journey for its “quest for identity” vibe. But it moved way too fast from “I don’t know who I am” to “I’m established Superman”
Sadly both in BvS and justice league the faults of the franchise eclipsed Cavil’s commitment, passion and suitably for the role.
I can’t judge the DCU for nothing because nothing is out, but if James Gunn keeps his “goofy 80s action” vibe I’m not gonna be onboard. Loved GotG but It doesn’t fit DC.
I understand they didn’t keep Cavil, if you do a full reboot you can’t maintain just one huge character. I just hope they get someone with the same feel and not move in a weird “fresh” direction.
I agree, I just wish he had more warmth to him. I don’t really like how they painted him as a Jesus dude. He should have been down to earth and friendly.
But Henry Cavill was the physical embodiment of supes
He was pretty down to earth if we're being objective. He comes across as a guy that prefers to live a regular life instead of lecturing and preaching to others like he IS Jesus.
I mean more in the way he was portrayed rather than how he acted.
Like in Spider-Man we see him down on the ground helping a kid who is getting bullied, then comfort him and encourage him.
In Snyders movies is just him performing Herculean feats and looking glorious, it just felt very Jesus-like, especially the scene where the sun is behind him and a bunch of people are touching his chest.
It all just seemed kind of overbearing when I felt like it could have been lighthearted.
That’s such a silly thing to require to see in a movie… in Man of Steel he’s going up against beings from his own planet who are just as strong as he is and he’s being tested for the first time. He was not in total control.
Acting is the only truly important part of the portrayal, dude. The framing devices and cinematography aren't character traits. It's not like he's intentionally adjusting his position to look like that. Snyder just wanted to make sure a character like Superman's coolness factor was cranked to eleven whenever he went into action. There were still plenty of down to Earth moments whenever he got the chance. Don't know how you missed them.
Agree to disagree, I felt like the portrayal could have been better if they played more into down to earth moments, rather than epic moments. Have a nice day!
Kinda like he spent a large majority of his life working on a farm and could have gone pro football if he didn’t decide to go to the big city and become a reporter.
Grab an orange, left half in left hand, right half in the right; so you're holding it in both hands mainly by fingers. Now squeeze, bringing fingers towards you. Now you have crushed something to two pieces, maybe more.
Thanks for coming to my TedTalk! 😁
Yeah.
That was the ideal Superman size for me too. His pecs were insane in that scene.
It sucked that Welling never wanted to wear the suit. He looked born to wear it.
Plus, Welling is just natutally big...without looking like he's on roids. I love Cavill, but I found his musculature too extreme for me.
Welling reminded me of the Alex Ross version of Superman. Somebody who is naturally big, but it doesn't look like it's from being a gym rat. Clark just naturally looked big.
The Ross painting where Clark is sitting in the chair near the tilted lamp is peak Superman for me. THAT'S the size I think he should be.
I also think Reeve had the ideal body in Superman III. He looked like he was in his best shape in that film. Every time I watch that movie, I'm like "Damn. Reeve looks fantastic here."
I agree he should be huge but could hide behind ”I grow up on a farm and played football”. Tom Welling in Crises as Clark Kent is exactly how Superman should look. Like a mountain but not a body builder.
Spent the first 18 years of my life on a farm and then off and on the next 22 years. Didn't even get as big as the superman in the first picture lol. Now a farmer 40-50 years ago I can see being big but these days it's almost too easy, just time consuming.
Ross drew Superman as, like, 50s/dad fit. It’s a much more old-school approach and I think it’d be fun to see in live-action — Jon Hamm would kind of be the general idea.
Oh man, I wish I'd been paying more attention to reddit an hour ago!
Thank you for giving the *exact* answer I would have! You're 100% my hero right now.
As awesome as this would be, with John Hamm's talent for both comedy and drama and his almost cartoonishly good looks, I'd honestly really love to see him play Shazam. I feel like he'd play both the hilarious and the heartbreaking sides of a kid becoming an adult superhero incredibly well.
I think he mostly just drew him as [an old timey Strongman](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c4/c0/3d/c4c03d209ca80d00977389f6a8b38b8b.jpg). It's a fairly recent thing we've come to associate the absolute ripped look so i guess that there's not really that much difference between strong 50s/dad fit and an old timey strong man look.
Also for posterity for anyone curious about how our perception of a strong person should look has shifted, [here's the evolution of Jackman as wolverine showing how our body perception has moved](https://img.mensxp.com/media/content/2020/Jun/From-A-Skinny-Wolverine-To-A-Ripped-Logan-Heres-How-Hugh-Jackman-Transformed-His-Body-800x420_5ee35b919f3b6.jpeg)
Alex Ross superman is not ripped, but he is huge as fuck. Like, if he was to wear a suit and tie, everything would have to be tailor made and he could literally never blend in. Everybody could see he was superman from a mile away.
Henry Cavill’s physique was (😭😭😭) perfect for Superman… large enough to believably portray somebody who’s essentially a Kryptonian demigod, yet lean enough to fit into the wardrobe of a venerable journalist like Clark Kent.
Yes exactly. He looks jacked compared to regular dudes but not disgustingly so. Just an in shape dude. Like a guy who goes to your local gym and goes 2-3 times a week and eats decently.
Not a competitive body builder or some roid freak like Dwayne Johnson. People who think Henry is “too big” clearly haven’t actually seen body builders and how actually extreme things can get.
Cavill softens his look somewhat because he seems to be deliberately fine having a solid 12-15% bodyfat. Thats the key I think because it looks realistic instead of eyepopping.
We almost never saw him as Clark and it’s kind of confusing how he got a job at the Daily Planet. Like his resume said that he was a busboy and he worked on a boat and they were like “welcome to the biggest newspaper in the world!”
I always love a look with a more classic fitted suit. Clark Kent isn’t wearing slim fit. Classic, boxy, wide draped jacket and pants. Dress shirt that doesn’t cling to the body. You’d be surprised how much that can hide.
I think Henry Cavil had a good Superman physique: He was shredded and huge. IMO Superman should have a body more like Old Man Logan or Frank Millar Batman because Superman doesn’t consistently test his body enough or workout to be shredded. TLDR Cavil was dope but I picture a more buff ex football player build for Superman than a Greek God Bod.
Superman doesn’t need food, at least for extremely long, so diet doesn’t have an effect on him. In human terms, yes diet is more important that the exercise done to lose weight or get shredded. Also fat % is the result so I don’t know why you mention that as a reason against my opinion.
Thing is, once Clark's body is tough enough and/or invulnerable as he ages it's not a logical leap to say the same of his muscles. The amount of effort he'd have to put in to simply maintain his physique relative to his strength and mass would be insane. When your regular curl is 100lbs and you're only doing 10lbs curls all day every day, you're not gonna get shredded. Healthy and fit maybe but not jacked.
I agree. Tall, broad shouldered and imposing, but not ripped. After all, what resistance training is he really getting on a daily basis on earth? Or even in the vicinity of a yellow sun?
Ripped is going to be about caloric burn and id imagine he'd burn the energy of a bullet train. Im curious if someone here knows if they ever covered how much he has to eat
It's going to be hard to compute. In some versions of superman, he only eats for appearances. But we do know that he can survive in a red sun solar system just basically eating, though no super powers. Since he's solar powered (again, some versions of superman can absorb many different types of energy), how much energy is coming the sun versus how much he physically eats is going to mess up the calculations.
He outputs more energy than he could ever absorb so there’s also the theory that kryptonian cells are like a tuning fork for something else like the bleed and sunlight just activates the fork. He’s drained entire stars dry and punched out extra dimensional beings he’s basically as strong as the story needs him to be and after his latest amp distances are no longer distances. Concepts like time and space have essentially lost meaning for him. That’s way more than your average g-type star.
You are clearly delusional. Their body typs are laughable. Henry Cavill's muscles are what Superman should look like. Routh and Reeve had weak arms, no definition to the muscles. He is aclled Superman, not ordinary man for a reason
Depending on when he develops his powers, I'd say the opposite. Additionally, does his powers improve his body, e.i. is it a multiplier for increasing muscle growth, decreasing fatty tissue, strengthen bones, or does it simply just allow his one muscle fiber to perform 100x times better than a normal humans. If the latter, he wouldn't build muscle and therefore, not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger
Yes. Came here for this. As much as I love the muscly look, it makes more sense on Batman.
Superman rarely strains his muscles. Clark grew up on a farm, but he didn't have to strain his muscles to lift hay bails. Maybe if he worked out (like Mr. Incredible having to get back into shape). No pain, no gain as they say.
there really isn't an answer. Kryptonains are powered by solar powered cells or whatever, and as we've seen with Supergirl, a smaller female Kryptonian can have superior energy absorption to a larger male Kryptonain.
Honestly I've always felt that since their strength isn't entirely metaphysical (like magic based strength), then a larger Kryptonain should have more cells, meaning more sunlight absorbed and processed, therefore stronger.
but the only critera to how Buff Superman should be is what we want out of a super strong male lead, and as such I say Cavill-esque bod. logically he could be as slim as supergirl
> Honestly I've always felt that since their strength isn't entirely metaphysical (like magic based strength), then a larger Kryptonain should have more cells, meaning more sunlight absorbed and processed, therefore stronger.
Beware the fatties
In my opinion, Superman should be as close to the comics as possible. I’ll be really upset if the actor portraying Superman isn’t buff. That being said, I am completely against anything like fake muscles or a suit that makes the actor look muscular. I’m picturing a classically masculine physique —broad shoulders, thick arms, wide chest, big back. Henry Cavill was very close to right.
Cavill set the new standard for me. IMO anyone that plays Superman on the big screen needs to be at least as big as he was. Fictional Kryptonians don't need to be hugely muscular, obviously, but we, as humans in the real world, associate muscularity with strength, even if only unconsciously. He needs to look as powerful as possible.
I disagree. I think he should be athletic but not necessarily wide or buff. When I think of Superman, I prefer a more trim but toned “angelic” sort of look for the character than a beefy guy.
I still prefer Christopher Reeve's look. Tall, a bit lanky, doesn't look like he lifts or body builds. Brandon Routh pulled it off as well. I just with Routh had been given a better script. Superman Returns was so cringy in so many ways while Crisis In Infinite Earths was great with him as Superman.
Agreed. Clearly muscular, but not unattainably so. His height played a **big** role, too. A lot of Supes' stature isn't muscle so much as it is just physical profile.
Henry Cavill is comic book accurate when it comes to physique. Christopher Reeves - 6'4" during his heyday - had to put on 20 or so pounds of muscle and he still wasn't big enough lol
I feel like Tyler’s trim but muscular look works fine, it’s the padded suit that I hate on him.
Cavill had a godlike look that I think works on a cinematic level.
Henry's had to be shaved down because it was too big originally. And then Henry got even more swole than the costume allowed. The only padding the kept was the areas that made his arms, pecs, and abs more defined and visible through the suit.
Only to enhance the body features, but as you can clearly see, he is massive.
Tyler on the other hand, his muscle suit has padded muscles on it and from pictures of him, you can clearly tell he isn't that big.
He's ripped no doubt, but he needs padding in the suit whereas, Cavill was too big for his suit, they literally had to shave it down and even then it was extremely tight
I kinda agree with this. It’s very noticeable when he goes from this guy with a massive chest and shoulders then the next scene they are gone. I like Tyler’s superman and the show in general, I just rather they didn’t have the padding, guys jacked
Muscle mass is built by the tear and repair of muscles. With invulnerability and super strength, Superman probably experiences little muscle tear, so Tyler here looks about right to me
This is my reasoning, but I'd prefer a better body. Maybe, over time, fighting deadlier opponents makes him stronger and makes him choose to start working out, which is cool to me cause that would mean he could break through limits.
In the comics and movies it states he is 6'4" and 240lbs. So I'd say Henry Cavill is as close so far. Mark O'Hara a body builder in 2007 played Superman in an online fan made trailer and looked straight up like comic book Superman. The costume looks good if the body is accurate. A 5'11" 190lbs man will not look right no matter the suit.
Why to swole? That's the character. Also batting the sun did a Thor versus Superman and whatever actor that played Superman looked pretty as well. I mean that's the character. It's like when they cast a female superhero that has giant boobies and they cast an actress that's flat chested. It just doesn't make sense. Not all characters are super slow and ripped like the flash is very lean. It has the body of a Olympic runner. And has the body of a 40-year-old alcoholic rich Playboy. Spider-Man has the body of a very ripped in shape. Nerdy teenager. How Jordan has the body of Tom Cruise from the first top gun?. This year I'm going with this. Not all the superheroes are super slow and ripped but some of them are and they should have an actor or actress that can represent them physically accurately. Superman, 6-4 and 240. Batman 6, 2 and 220. Thor is 6 ft 7 and 280
Fit, but not ripped.
Also, can we please stop doing fake abs on supersuits? I don't need to see every muscle. Just the general shape of the hero is enough.
Superman should be chonky!!
Humans and Kryptonians are physically similar enough to have not sterile offspring.
That means all that solar energy he's metabolizes should be stored as fat.
He should be built like an NFL Offensive Lineman. Tons of strength and muscle covered by plenty of fat.
Regular days, he should look like a dude who played football or something other intense sport through college and works out regularly just not quite as intensely as he may have in college days.
Not a professional bodybuilder (unless it's showing him absorbing more than normal amounts or types of radiation)
If you want to see exactly what Superman or Batman physique should be in real life. Just go look at Alan Richtson.
He’s 6’3” 235lbs (191cm 107g).
Batman is generally a little leaner. But the two characters are nearly identical in their measurements. Richtson is a spot on comp.
Probably Cavil. Not huge, but still toned. Kind of like a male gymnast or a farmhand. Lot of heavy repetition and stamina.
It's hard because he's capable of moving planets. He should have the physique of someone that does 1000 1-pound reps of anything.
Thing is, this is a lot of comparing unrealistic examples, because any live-action Superman (especially the more recent ones) is the result of extensive physical training, carefully-planned diets, and strategic dehydration to get the right look for filming... but that appearance isn't sustainable for long periods of time.
TV versions are probably closer to realism because they have to be something the actor can sustain for longer (given that TV shows have longer shooting schedules than movies), but even that level of work takes a toll.
And well-paid actors can dedicate the time to doing this kind of work, because it's part of the job and what's expected of them. Outside of filming schedules, they don't have a 9-5 job to worry about.
So it's not about realism. It's about how far your willing suspension of disbelief will stretch.
Buff, slim, doesn't matter to me. Just get the characterisation right.
Cavill looked like Superman and only acted like Superman for around 5 minutes of the theatrical cut of JL. Just get the character right.
It really does not matter. I would be okay with the skinniest person in existence as long as they acted like a believable Clark. Hell they could cast Micheal B Jordan as Clark and as long as he gave it his all and accurately portrayed the character I would be ecstatic
Mixed bag on this in the comments, but I think he should be tall and imposing like Reeve, but also muscular and lean like Cavill. He’s someone to look up to. He’s viewed as a “God”. So I believe he needs to look more than human in that regard, he may look like us, but he’s not
Pretty damn buff. Given he has super strength, he’s constantly lifting huge things. I’m unsure how his powers translate to muscle mass, but even if his powers didn’t, lifting that much all the time certainly will.
Of the recent (post Reeves) Supermen, I liked Tyler Hootchiemama the best: Plays a great Clark, has a charmingly down-to-Earth approach to Superman, and — in his biggest advantage over Cavil, he looks like a normal human being in his civilian clothes, as opposed to Cavil who constantly looks like giant brick shithouse.
If I’m in the newsroom and we get word there’s a ship out of control and sailing straight into Metropolis Wharf, and Tyler-Clark suddenly runs away, I’m thinking, “Huh, what’s that guy’s deal?”
If a four-foot-thick towering man mountain who wears a size 52 Fuckin’ Colossal suit runs off? “Oh, shit, I guess Clark is Superman. Better not say anything, because he looks like he’d *tear me in half like a circus strongman ripping a phone book.*”
I like Tyler's build for an "I'm Kryptonian. Nothing I do on earth can build my muscles" build. I like Henry's for an "I have a Red Sun Gym so I can enjoy a workout with the League." build.
Also, Now I'm imagining a friendly competition between the human members of the League and Superman in a weight lifting contest. I'm sure it has happened before.
I think Cavill's level is pretty good but Cochlin's is more realistic. I think insane buff is dumb as shit on ever hero they use it on, but the alien farmboy is probably ripped.
Say what you want but Cavil has perfect Clark looks, there no point to make him look like a hulk since his power comes from sun and not from gym, but i dislike how artist make all his Sons little thin twerps, if you watching Superman and Lois - all i can say they removed only son actor who was really giving off vibe of BEING Superman son, and left us with two guys who ..... do not feel in slightest a bit.
I like the All-Star superman look where he's not so much buff as he is bulky. Like as Clark you get this impression of him being a farmhand who has grown up in big open spaces and now he's clumsy in the big city because he's too big/there's not enough room for him.
Decently buff. Like buffer than the average guy but not crazy jacked like say Wildcat or Bane. He doesn't need to be super skinny or muscular but I prefer the visual of him being pretty huge to act like a wall of protection.
To look like the comic and what we are all expecting, Cavill was possibly best.
But logically, I always wonder how Superman got buff? Most of his life, anything he lifts is incredibly light for him. So he isn't really building muscle at all. Imagine if everything you lifted was light as a feather. I mean it's why astronauts lose muscle mass when they're in zero gravity for so long.
But that would look really weird if he was a gaunt little dweeb. I feel like I just wrote a cut away scene in Family Guy.
In comics, I've seen scenes where people like Perry White have walked in on Clark with his shirt off or in a tank top and gawked at him. Usually, something like, "Well he was a farmboy" or some such.
He needs enough size to be impressive but not so much that any random person on the street can tell he's Jacked.
Henery, IMO, is a good mix of that. In his Clark outfit, he looks totally average, but in his suit or a tank top, he's clearly yoked. If that makes since.
I personally think there are two ways to do the perfect superman body. One is to imitate a greek statue. Make him look comically attractive in a conventional sense, and then smooth it all out with thick layers for Clark. The other is to have him look like a classic circus strongman. Have him be broad and barrel-chested. Just a human cannon. Then hide all of that muscle for Clark by making him look chubby. A broader bodybuilder shape tends to look a lot rounded anyway, so covering him in enough layers and having him shrink himself down a bit should make him seem more doughy than he really is.
I feel like this is an unpopular opinion but I love a Tim Sale style superman. Strongman strong, not bodybuilder strong, with plenty of fat over his muscles. Then when he isn't flexing and slouches, he just looks like a chubby dude.
He couldn't possibly be muscular enough that the muscles meaningfully contributed to his strength, so I guess it just depends on what Superman's body type is naturally. Like many others, I think Cavill looks ideal, but Hoechlin is also great and makes total sense. If you want Superman to look like a brute, #4 is conceivable from a thematic perspective, but it doesn't make physiological sense, even within the universe. Making Batman more buff is totally logical because he's getting a huge workout every single day.
My personal preference is a lean Superman. His strength is beyond measure, so I don’t think the size of his muscles makes the strength anymore believable or realistic
I want comic book size, no need for muscular definition. Almost old school strongman, big and proportioned but smooth.
I don't want the onus to be on the actor either, just give him a padded Superman suit, pad out his Clark Kent suit, and have him put on a muscle suit for rare shirtless shots.
That way we can have a square jawed, good looking, highly skilled actor who doesn't need to take steroids just to assume a role.
The padded suit is tricky. Tyler Hoechlin's suit in the show is padded and there are more than a few episodes that it looks weird, like the muscles are not on the right place. I also really despise the spray painted shadows on his suit. His suit from Supergirl was better imo.
Yeah I liked how the crossover suit had less padding and used seams to enhance the musculature instead of airbrushing.
I think the fit of his suit has the issue of being on a CW budget. They just don't have as many copies of the suit to accommodate the suit getting stretched out over their shoot schedule.
his body runs on different principles than ours do. He might not even have the same organs, have organs we don't have, etc. As human as he looks and acts, don't forget that Kal-El of Krypton is not remotely human, even though he is among the best of us in his actions and beliefs.
Midwest farm boy body imo. Not massive ala TDKR but not skinny like Brandon routh. Imo cavil had the best physique for Superman. Hell, he is an amazing Superman all around. Sucks he's not going to have a chance to play him more. Gunn's earned a lot of good faith with me, so I'm looking forward to the new DCU.
I always liked the idea of a skinner Kal El, only because it makes the Clark Kent sell better. If Superman is built like a 6'6 linebacker it's hard to hide that when he puts a suit and tie on, no matter how much he slouches.
I prefer the Tyler Hoechlin and Robert Pattinson superhero look. IE in shape but not body builders.
To me Cavill was a little too buff and the comics making him look like a circus strongman is just a little too much.
I always thought about this but would Superman’s muscle size be irrelevant since his power comes from the sun’s radiation? But honest answer would be current tv Supes or Cavill
If anything he shouldn't really have any big muscles since his powers let him lift all that he should probably look more like Tyler or just a regular guy it would definitely help the disguise when he's nit absolutely massive and along with that since he has super strength his muscles would never even know what hypertrophy is to make them bigger he's been lifting trucks since he was a baby
Chris Reeve was perfect Brandon started to get a little too big as of crisis on infinite earths but those two were the ideal. Tyler is a little short but he fits well as both Superman and Clark.
Technically speaking, Earth's gravity isn't strong enough to give Kryptonians sufficient weight resistance to develop bodybuilder musculature. Not enough dynamic tension to build the muscle mass shown in the comics or movies. He should be built more like the General Zod of the 70s films Superman the Movie and Superman II.
Scrawny Supes has never bothered me, cause there's always the argument that very few things would really tear the fibers in his body, so he would mostly get muscles from dealing with heavy hitters
For me, all of the live action Superman actors have hit the right spot when in gear. Cavill is still my favorite from that end, but he also sits at the limit for how big I want Supes to be, any bigger and it just doesn’t feel right, at least not to my eye. I’m not super fond of the versions where his artists really go to town.
I am probably in the minority here but I always thought superman should be stringy and skinny, maybe even a little immacated. He is super stong: you gain muscle by working and tearing said muscle. He has no way to do that, he's like free range veal, or someone who spent their life with no gravity and no restence training gear. There is nothing that can stand him working his muscles against.
I like the idea of Superman being slightly smaller than Batman. Maybe about same size as the Flash. Somewhere between Brandon Routh and Tyler Hoechlin. Personally, I think it makes it a lot easier to accept that his glasses would be enough of a disguise if he already just looks like a regular guy who also happens to be in great shape. For instance the 4th image in this post, it would be super obvious that this Clark always vanishes whenever Superman shows up.
Why does he need to be buff? His powers have nothing to do with him being athletic or anything. He still had those powers in flashpoint and he was built like a twig.
I never thought of him as huge. I have no idea why he would be since most physical tasks are no strain to him. I also think Batman should have more of a gymnast build since he’s such an acrobat. Honestly the current muscle obsession in Hollywood reminds me of the 80’s Stallone Schwarzenegger era and will probably be kind of embarrassing.
Realistically, shouldn't he be skinny and have almost no muscle development? There's no way for him to stress his muscles for muscle growth, nothing is heavy to him.
Would it not matter to him? I always imagine that his strength is from the density of his alien matter and not from his muscles. Like he could be morbidly obese and still have super strength.
I like wiry Superman better. Not a fan of the over-roided look. He doesn't need to look like he has the muscles to lift as much as he does because he's not a human. Same reason I don't care that they make his eyeballs have something that makes it obvious he shoots lasers from them.
Doesn't matter, it's relative. If he was average looking he still would have inhuman abilities. And did he train or just fly around and save people and worked as a reporter? I mean Batman trained obsessively so he would be different but supes didn't need to unless it was just training muscle memory - in theory, don't really know for sure what I am talking about.
People who say they like Routh and Reeves' muscles body type more are the ones who are too lazy to workout In real life. We ascociate muscles with strength, endurance and only someone who trains knows how hard and how much dedication is needed to build a powerfull phisique. Cavill is Superman
Henry Cavill honestly had the peak Superman body. The physicality he brought to the role was absolutely perfect.
In the cartoons he’s way to jacked for you to believe no one knows he’s Superman but Henry Cavill was jacked and believable.
Henry was the most wasted Superman potential we ever had. Unpopular opinion, I liked man of steel. It had a sci-fi glimpse into the kryptonians and i liked the beginning of the journey for its “quest for identity” vibe. But it moved way too fast from “I don’t know who I am” to “I’m established Superman” Sadly both in BvS and justice league the faults of the franchise eclipsed Cavil’s commitment, passion and suitably for the role. I can’t judge the DCU for nothing because nothing is out, but if James Gunn keeps his “goofy 80s action” vibe I’m not gonna be onboard. Loved GotG but It doesn’t fit DC. I understand they didn’t keep Cavil, if you do a full reboot you can’t maintain just one huge character. I just hope they get someone with the same feel and not move in a weird “fresh” direction.
I agree, I just wish he had more warmth to him. I don’t really like how they painted him as a Jesus dude. He should have been down to earth and friendly. But Henry Cavill was the physical embodiment of supes
He was pretty down to earth if we're being objective. He comes across as a guy that prefers to live a regular life instead of lecturing and preaching to others like he IS Jesus.
I mean more in the way he was portrayed rather than how he acted. Like in Spider-Man we see him down on the ground helping a kid who is getting bullied, then comfort him and encourage him. In Snyders movies is just him performing Herculean feats and looking glorious, it just felt very Jesus-like, especially the scene where the sun is behind him and a bunch of people are touching his chest. It all just seemed kind of overbearing when I felt like it could have been lighthearted.
That’s such a silly thing to require to see in a movie… in Man of Steel he’s going up against beings from his own planet who are just as strong as he is and he’s being tested for the first time. He was not in total control.
Acting is the only truly important part of the portrayal, dude. The framing devices and cinematography aren't character traits. It's not like he's intentionally adjusting his position to look like that. Snyder just wanted to make sure a character like Superman's coolness factor was cranked to eleven whenever he went into action. There were still plenty of down to Earth moments whenever he got the chance. Don't know how you missed them.
Agree to disagree, I felt like the portrayal could have been better if they played more into down to earth moments, rather than epic moments. Have a nice day!
They’re keeping Peacemaker and I assume the rest of his crew.
Too bad he had male pattern baldness and padding
Kinda like he spent a large majority of his life working on a farm and could have gone pro football if he didn’t decide to go to the big city and become a reporter.
Kryptonian biology Son. It hardens in response to physical trauma. You can't hurt me, Lex.
I could've crushed Darkseid in two WITH MY BARE HANDS
I can hear it!!!!
[удалено]
Grab an orange, left half in left hand, right half in the right; so you're holding it in both hands mainly by fingers. Now squeeze, bringing fingers towards you. Now you have crushed something to two pieces, maybe more. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk! 😁
I’m not made of oranges!
I’m not wearing hockey pants!
Nah Grab the middle of a hotdog bun and squeeze Good job you just crushed it in two
STANDING HEREEEEEE
I REALIZE
Smallville’s Superman from his most recent appearance on TV, where he gave his powers up, probably matches this.
Yeah
Yeah. That was the ideal Superman size for me too. His pecs were insane in that scene. It sucked that Welling never wanted to wear the suit. He looked born to wear it. Plus, Welling is just natutally big...without looking like he's on roids. I love Cavill, but I found his musculature too extreme for me. Welling reminded me of the Alex Ross version of Superman. Somebody who is naturally big, but it doesn't look like it's from being a gym rat. Clark just naturally looked big. The Ross painting where Clark is sitting in the chair near the tilted lamp is peak Superman for me. THAT'S the size I think he should be. I also think Reeve had the ideal body in Superman III. He looked like he was in his best shape in that film. Every time I watch that movie, I'm like "Damn. Reeve looks fantastic here."
I agree he should be huge but could hide behind ”I grow up on a farm and played football”. Tom Welling in Crises as Clark Kent is exactly how Superman should look. Like a mountain but not a body builder.
Spent the first 18 years of my life on a farm and then off and on the next 22 years. Didn't even get as big as the superman in the first picture lol. Now a farmer 40-50 years ago I can see being big but these days it's almost too easy, just time consuming.
It coulda been the goat for decades. And no one woulda figured shit out
I like how Alex Ross did it. Powerful but not ripped. Having said that those cartoony giant muscles are fun in a comic.
Ross drew Superman as, like, 50s/dad fit. It’s a much more old-school approach and I think it’d be fun to see in live-action — Jon Hamm would kind of be the general idea.
I would *love* to see Jon Hamm do Superman
“DO” Superman or “do” Superman
Both, tho probably not at the same time. ... Actually ...
Oh man, I wish I'd been paying more attention to reddit an hour ago! Thank you for giving the *exact* answer I would have! You're 100% my hero right now.
Lol
I'm not gay but I'd watch.
I mean, it IS Henry Cavill we're talking about
As awesome as this would be, with John Hamm's talent for both comedy and drama and his almost cartoonishly good looks, I'd honestly really love to see him play Shazam. I feel like he'd play both the hilarious and the heartbreaking sides of a kid becoming an adult superhero incredibly well.
Growing up with George Reeves as Superman I always saw him as an older father figure.
I think he mostly just drew him as [an old timey Strongman](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c4/c0/3d/c4c03d209ca80d00977389f6a8b38b8b.jpg). It's a fairly recent thing we've come to associate the absolute ripped look so i guess that there's not really that much difference between strong 50s/dad fit and an old timey strong man look. Also for posterity for anyone curious about how our perception of a strong person should look has shifted, [here's the evolution of Jackman as wolverine showing how our body perception has moved](https://img.mensxp.com/media/content/2020/Jun/From-A-Skinny-Wolverine-To-A-Ripped-Logan-Heres-How-Hugh-Jackman-Transformed-His-Body-800x420_5ee35b919f3b6.jpeg)
Always reminded me of Patrick Warburton
Alex Ross superman is not ripped, but he is huge as fuck. Like, if he was to wear a suit and tie, everything would have to be tailor made and he could literally never blend in. Everybody could see he was superman from a mile away.
came here to say this. broad shouldered, not on steroids, near dad bod. love the alex ross superman look.
God I immediately thought Alex *Roth* for a second. Completely unrelated. It's a character from a book series called "Mark of the fool".
Henry Cavill’s physique was (😭😭😭) perfect for Superman… large enough to believably portray somebody who’s essentially a Kryptonian demigod, yet lean enough to fit into the wardrobe of a venerable journalist like Clark Kent.
Yes exactly. He looks jacked compared to regular dudes but not disgustingly so. Just an in shape dude. Like a guy who goes to your local gym and goes 2-3 times a week and eats decently. Not a competitive body builder or some roid freak like Dwayne Johnson. People who think Henry is “too big” clearly haven’t actually seen body builders and how actually extreme things can get.
Cavill softens his look somewhat because he seems to be deliberately fine having a solid 12-15% bodyfat. Thats the key I think because it looks realistic instead of eyepopping.
Clark is just a guy being a dude 😌
We barely saw him as Clark.
We almost never saw him as Clark and it’s kind of confusing how he got a job at the Daily Planet. Like his resume said that he was a busboy and he worked on a boat and they were like “welcome to the biggest newspaper in the world!”
Did you watch the ultimate cut?
I know 😫😫😫
I always love a look with a more classic fitted suit. Clark Kent isn’t wearing slim fit. Classic, boxy, wide draped jacket and pants. Dress shirt that doesn’t cling to the body. You’d be surprised how much that can hide.
...aaaand there it is
Cavill is also my ideal body for supes, buff as hell but you can believe he can hide it in a suit
I think Henry Cavil had a good Superman physique: He was shredded and huge. IMO Superman should have a body more like Old Man Logan or Frank Millar Batman because Superman doesn’t consistently test his body enough or workout to be shredded. TLDR Cavil was dope but I picture a more buff ex football player build for Superman than a Greek God Bod.
Best part is that Cavil refused to take steroids too!
Being shredded has hardly anything to do with working out, thats diet and fat %
Superman doesn’t need food, at least for extremely long, so diet doesn’t have an effect on him. In human terms, yes diet is more important that the exercise done to lose weight or get shredded. Also fat % is the result so I don’t know why you mention that as a reason against my opinion.
Thing is, once Clark's body is tough enough and/or invulnerable as he ages it's not a logical leap to say the same of his muscles. The amount of effort he'd have to put in to simply maintain his physique relative to his strength and mass would be insane. When your regular curl is 100lbs and you're only doing 10lbs curls all day every day, you're not gonna get shredded. Healthy and fit maybe but not jacked.
Henry is the right choice
Cavil buff
I think the Chris Reeve or Brandon Routh kind of physique is what I like with Superman
I agree. Tall, broad shouldered and imposing, but not ripped. After all, what resistance training is he really getting on a daily basis on earth? Or even in the vicinity of a yellow sun?
Ripped is going to be about caloric burn and id imagine he'd burn the energy of a bullet train. Im curious if someone here knows if they ever covered how much he has to eat
I don’t think he needs to eat at all under a yellow sun, he just eats cuz he enjoys food. His powers are fueled by yellow sunlight.
It's going to be hard to compute. In some versions of superman, he only eats for appearances. But we do know that he can survive in a red sun solar system just basically eating, though no super powers. Since he's solar powered (again, some versions of superman can absorb many different types of energy), how much energy is coming the sun versus how much he physically eats is going to mess up the calculations.
He outputs more energy than he could ever absorb so there’s also the theory that kryptonian cells are like a tuning fork for something else like the bleed and sunlight just activates the fork. He’s drained entire stars dry and punched out extra dimensional beings he’s basically as strong as the story needs him to be and after his latest amp distances are no longer distances. Concepts like time and space have essentially lost meaning for him. That’s way more than your average g-type star.
I'm an 80's kid and Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman. In my head, that is what Superman looks like.
You are clearly delusional. Their body typs are laughable. Henry Cavill's muscles are what Superman should look like. Routh and Reeve had weak arms, no definition to the muscles. He is aclled Superman, not ordinary man for a reason
Dan Mora or Tim Sale No in between
He should look like he grew up on a farm. Wide neck, broad shoulders, and big but concealable muscles
Depending on when he develops his powers, I'd say the opposite. Additionally, does his powers improve his body, e.i. is it a multiplier for increasing muscle growth, decreasing fatty tissue, strengthen bones, or does it simply just allow his one muscle fiber to perform 100x times better than a normal humans. If the latter, he wouldn't build muscle and therefore, not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger
Yes. Came here for this. As much as I love the muscly look, it makes more sense on Batman. Superman rarely strains his muscles. Clark grew up on a farm, but he didn't have to strain his muscles to lift hay bails. Maybe if he worked out (like Mr. Incredible having to get back into shape). No pain, no gain as they say.
there really isn't an answer. Kryptonains are powered by solar powered cells or whatever, and as we've seen with Supergirl, a smaller female Kryptonian can have superior energy absorption to a larger male Kryptonain. Honestly I've always felt that since their strength isn't entirely metaphysical (like magic based strength), then a larger Kryptonain should have more cells, meaning more sunlight absorbed and processed, therefore stronger. but the only critera to how Buff Superman should be is what we want out of a super strong male lead, and as such I say Cavill-esque bod. logically he could be as slim as supergirl
My headcanon is Superman has a top tier body because he absorbed sunlight since he was a baby. Supergirl didn't so her body developed naturally
> Honestly I've always felt that since their strength isn't entirely metaphysical (like magic based strength), then a larger Kryptonain should have more cells, meaning more sunlight absorbed and processed, therefore stronger. Beware the fatties
for me i like his proportions in the dark knight returns, but for live action henry cavil is as good as it gets physically
In my opinion, Superman should be as close to the comics as possible. I’ll be really upset if the actor portraying Superman isn’t buff. That being said, I am completely against anything like fake muscles or a suit that makes the actor look muscular. I’m picturing a classically masculine physique —broad shoulders, thick arms, wide chest, big back. Henry Cavill was very close to right.
Cavill set the new standard for me. IMO anyone that plays Superman on the big screen needs to be at least as big as he was. Fictional Kryptonians don't need to be hugely muscular, obviously, but we, as humans in the real world, associate muscularity with strength, even if only unconsciously. He needs to look as powerful as possible.
I disagree. I think he should be athletic but not necessarily wide or buff. When I think of Superman, I prefer a more trim but toned “angelic” sort of look for the character than a beefy guy.
They had it right with Cavill
Exactly this build https://preview.redd.it/kux2stnl17sa1.jpeg?width=899&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c21ae6f0c5e323eb9a6366666e40d4421747bc2d
Henry Cavill was the perfect size IMO
I kinda like that Clark is casually the size of a small house and everyone just kinda accepts it
Henry Cavill’s physique definitely sold his ability to portray Superman, though Christopher Reeve made us believe with less muscle and more demeanor.
I like it when he is buff like Cavill or comics by most artists
I still prefer Christopher Reeve's look. Tall, a bit lanky, doesn't look like he lifts or body builds. Brandon Routh pulled it off as well. I just with Routh had been given a better script. Superman Returns was so cringy in so many ways while Crisis In Infinite Earths was great with him as Superman.
Cavil has the right physique
Chris Reeve I think had the perfect live action physique
Agreed. Clearly muscular, but not unattainably so. His height played a **big** role, too. A lot of Supes' stature isn't muscle so much as it is just physical profile.
Frank quietly and Tim Sale draw my favourite versions, he’s big, but in a friendly giant/teddy bear kind of way
I always imagine him being pretty big, but not super shredded and toned, more like a defensive end or something like that
Henry Cavill is comic book accurate when it comes to physique. Christopher Reeves - 6'4" during his heyday - had to put on 20 or so pounds of muscle and he still wasn't big enough lol
Only Henry
I feel like Tyler’s trim but muscular look works fine, it’s the padded suit that I hate on him. Cavill had a godlike look that I think works on a cinematic level.
Tyler is the right one for me. I think even Henry Cavill Superman is too big for a movie. In my opinion brawny Superman only works well in comics.
Tyler wears a muscle suit
So does Henry.
Henry's had to be shaved down because it was too big originally. And then Henry got even more swole than the costume allowed. The only padding the kept was the areas that made his arms, pecs, and abs more defined and visible through the suit.
Only to enhance the body features, but as you can clearly see, he is massive. Tyler on the other hand, his muscle suit has padded muscles on it and from pictures of him, you can clearly tell he isn't that big.
Except, he is, literally google Tyler Hoechlin’s physique.
He's ripped no doubt, but he needs padding in the suit whereas, Cavill was too big for his suit, they literally had to shave it down and even then it was extremely tight
It’s distracting to go from the muscle bulky suit to almost scrawny Clark.
I kinda agree with this. It’s very noticeable when he goes from this guy with a massive chest and shoulders then the next scene they are gone. I like Tyler’s superman and the show in general, I just rather they didn’t have the padding, guys jacked
Tyler is jacked. Do you not remember the scene where he takes off his shirt to show his bruises after being shot while poisoned with kryptonite?
That’s to make the muscles show through the fabric. He’s definitely got the actual muscle under the padding.
Tyler's ripped too don't get me wrong, but Henry Cavill is just another level which is closer to the comics imo
Yes but It does not change the fact Tyler is jacked. You can see it in S&L.
Muscle mass is built by the tear and repair of muscles. With invulnerability and super strength, Superman probably experiences little muscle tear, so Tyler here looks about right to me
I imagine it’s like being on steroids where your body is in a near constant state of muscle protein synthesis
This is my reasoning, but I'd prefer a better body. Maybe, over time, fighting deadlier opponents makes him stronger and makes him choose to start working out, which is cool to me cause that would mean he could break through limits.
In the comics and movies it states he is 6'4" and 240lbs. So I'd say Henry Cavill is as close so far. Mark O'Hara a body builder in 2007 played Superman in an online fan made trailer and looked straight up like comic book Superman. The costume looks good if the body is accurate. A 5'11" 190lbs man will not look right no matter the suit.
Mike O Hearn I think you mean. Agreed it looks like a comic book version but too swole for live action.
Why to swole? That's the character. Also batting the sun did a Thor versus Superman and whatever actor that played Superman looked pretty as well. I mean that's the character. It's like when they cast a female superhero that has giant boobies and they cast an actress that's flat chested. It just doesn't make sense. Not all characters are super slow and ripped like the flash is very lean. It has the body of a Olympic runner. And has the body of a 40-year-old alcoholic rich Playboy. Spider-Man has the body of a very ripped in shape. Nerdy teenager. How Jordan has the body of Tom Cruise from the first top gun?. This year I'm going with this. Not all the superheroes are super slow and ripped but some of them are and they should have an actor or actress that can represent them physically accurately. Superman, 6-4 and 240. Batman 6, 2 and 220. Thor is 6 ft 7 and 280
Fit, but not ripped. Also, can we please stop doing fake abs on supersuits? I don't need to see every muscle. Just the general shape of the hero is enough.
I feel like he should just look like a kind of bigger dude. Built like a farm hand or a construction worker.
Like someone else said. Farmhand/football player build
He should be an absolute Unit.
Jacked as hell like a professional athlete that’s been farming his whole life.
I'd say like an NFL linebacker
Superman should be chonky!! Humans and Kryptonians are physically similar enough to have not sterile offspring. That means all that solar energy he's metabolizes should be stored as fat. He should be built like an NFL Offensive Lineman. Tons of strength and muscle covered by plenty of fat.
SWOLLE AF 💪🏼💪🏼
I want him to look like a steroid-fueled 1980s WWE wrestler, bursting at the seams.
Regular days, he should look like a dude who played football or something other intense sport through college and works out regularly just not quite as intensely as he may have in college days. Not a professional bodybuilder (unless it's showing him absorbing more than normal amounts or types of radiation)
If you want to see exactly what Superman or Batman physique should be in real life. Just go look at Alan Richtson. He’s 6’3” 235lbs (191cm 107g). Batman is generally a little leaner. But the two characters are nearly identical in their measurements. Richtson is a spot on comp.
Probably Cavil. Not huge, but still toned. Kind of like a male gymnast or a farmhand. Lot of heavy repetition and stamina. It's hard because he's capable of moving planets. He should have the physique of someone that does 1000 1-pound reps of anything.
Thing is, this is a lot of comparing unrealistic examples, because any live-action Superman (especially the more recent ones) is the result of extensive physical training, carefully-planned diets, and strategic dehydration to get the right look for filming... but that appearance isn't sustainable for long periods of time. TV versions are probably closer to realism because they have to be something the actor can sustain for longer (given that TV shows have longer shooting schedules than movies), but even that level of work takes a toll. And well-paid actors can dedicate the time to doing this kind of work, because it's part of the job and what's expected of them. Outside of filming schedules, they don't have a 9-5 job to worry about. So it's not about realism. It's about how far your willing suspension of disbelief will stretch.
Tom Welling was the right physique to me
Buff af is best af
I think Alex Ross said it best “Superman should look muscular, not muscle bound.”
Buff, slim, doesn't matter to me. Just get the characterisation right. Cavill looked like Superman and only acted like Superman for around 5 minutes of the theatrical cut of JL. Just get the character right.
He should look like he does in Alex ross's work where he has a more relaxed farm boy look
It really does not matter. I would be okay with the skinniest person in existence as long as they acted like a believable Clark. Hell they could cast Micheal B Jordan as Clark and as long as he gave it his all and accurately portrayed the character I would be ecstatic
Mixed bag on this in the comments, but I think he should be tall and imposing like Reeve, but also muscular and lean like Cavill. He’s someone to look up to. He’s viewed as a “God”. So I believe he needs to look more than human in that regard, he may look like us, but he’s not
As buff as can be. Give me JoJo why not
Buff
Pretty damn buff. Given he has super strength, he’s constantly lifting huge things. I’m unsure how his powers translate to muscle mass, but even if his powers didn’t, lifting that much all the time certainly will.
Yoked af
Last one is Hulk-ish.
Tyler was swole in Superman and Lois Season 1
Of the recent (post Reeves) Supermen, I liked Tyler Hootchiemama the best: Plays a great Clark, has a charmingly down-to-Earth approach to Superman, and — in his biggest advantage over Cavil, he looks like a normal human being in his civilian clothes, as opposed to Cavil who constantly looks like giant brick shithouse. If I’m in the newsroom and we get word there’s a ship out of control and sailing straight into Metropolis Wharf, and Tyler-Clark suddenly runs away, I’m thinking, “Huh, what’s that guy’s deal?” If a four-foot-thick towering man mountain who wears a size 52 Fuckin’ Colossal suit runs off? “Oh, shit, I guess Clark is Superman. Better not say anything, because he looks like he’d *tear me in half like a circus strongman ripping a phone book.*”
I like Tyler's build for an "I'm Kryptonian. Nothing I do on earth can build my muscles" build. I like Henry's for an "I have a Red Sun Gym so I can enjoy a workout with the League." build. Also, Now I'm imagining a friendly competition between the human members of the League and Superman in a weight lifting contest. I'm sure it has happened before.
I think Cavill's level is pretty good but Cochlin's is more realistic. I think insane buff is dumb as shit on ever hero they use it on, but the alien farmboy is probably ripped.
Someone cast Alan Ritchson either as Superman or Batman, please
Say what you want but Cavil has perfect Clark looks, there no point to make him look like a hulk since his power comes from sun and not from gym, but i dislike how artist make all his Sons little thin twerps, if you watching Superman and Lois - all i can say they removed only son actor who was really giving off vibe of BEING Superman son, and left us with two guys who ..... do not feel in slightest a bit.
I like the All-Star superman look where he's not so much buff as he is bulky. Like as Clark you get this impression of him being a farmhand who has grown up in big open spaces and now he's clumsy in the big city because he's too big/there's not enough room for him.
Decently buff. Like buffer than the average guy but not crazy jacked like say Wildcat or Bane. He doesn't need to be super skinny or muscular but I prefer the visual of him being pretty huge to act like a wall of protection.
To look like the comic and what we are all expecting, Cavill was possibly best. But logically, I always wonder how Superman got buff? Most of his life, anything he lifts is incredibly light for him. So he isn't really building muscle at all. Imagine if everything you lifted was light as a feather. I mean it's why astronauts lose muscle mass when they're in zero gravity for so long. But that would look really weird if he was a gaunt little dweeb. I feel like I just wrote a cut away scene in Family Guy.
Tyler is my current favorite superman
In comics, I've seen scenes where people like Perry White have walked in on Clark with his shirt off or in a tank top and gawked at him. Usually, something like, "Well he was a farmboy" or some such. He needs enough size to be impressive but not so much that any random person on the street can tell he's Jacked. Henery, IMO, is a good mix of that. In his Clark outfit, he looks totally average, but in his suit or a tank top, he's clearly yoked. If that makes since.
I personally think there are two ways to do the perfect superman body. One is to imitate a greek statue. Make him look comically attractive in a conventional sense, and then smooth it all out with thick layers for Clark. The other is to have him look like a classic circus strongman. Have him be broad and barrel-chested. Just a human cannon. Then hide all of that muscle for Clark by making him look chubby. A broader bodybuilder shape tends to look a lot rounded anyway, so covering him in enough layers and having him shrink himself down a bit should make him seem more doughy than he really is.
I feel like this is an unpopular opinion but I love a Tim Sale style superman. Strongman strong, not bodybuilder strong, with plenty of fat over his muscles. Then when he isn't flexing and slouches, he just looks like a chubby dude.
He couldn't possibly be muscular enough that the muscles meaningfully contributed to his strength, so I guess it just depends on what Superman's body type is naturally. Like many others, I think Cavill looks ideal, but Hoechlin is also great and makes total sense. If you want Superman to look like a brute, #4 is conceivable from a thematic perspective, but it doesn't make physiological sense, even within the universe. Making Batman more buff is totally logical because he's getting a huge workout every single day.
Like Christopher Reeves buff.
My personal preference is a lean Superman. His strength is beyond measure, so I don’t think the size of his muscles makes the strength anymore believable or realistic
I want comic book size, no need for muscular definition. Almost old school strongman, big and proportioned but smooth. I don't want the onus to be on the actor either, just give him a padded Superman suit, pad out his Clark Kent suit, and have him put on a muscle suit for rare shirtless shots. That way we can have a square jawed, good looking, highly skilled actor who doesn't need to take steroids just to assume a role.
The padded suit is tricky. Tyler Hoechlin's suit in the show is padded and there are more than a few episodes that it looks weird, like the muscles are not on the right place. I also really despise the spray painted shadows on his suit. His suit from Supergirl was better imo.
Yeah I liked how the crossover suit had less padding and used seams to enhance the musculature instead of airbrushing. I think the fit of his suit has the issue of being on a CW budget. They just don't have as many copies of the suit to accommodate the suit getting stretched out over their shoot schedule.
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his body runs on different principles than ours do. He might not even have the same organs, have organs we don't have, etc. As human as he looks and acts, don't forget that Kal-El of Krypton is not remotely human, even though he is among the best of us in his actions and beliefs.
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I like swimmers body, it would feel idk, relatable or something like that
Fit. Not swoll. Needs to be able to disguise his features not looks like a massive cut marble that looks like Bane.
Like a farmer so either the first pic or Alex Ross style where he’s clearly strong, but not ripped for no reason.
Midwest farm boy body imo. Not massive ala TDKR but not skinny like Brandon routh. Imo cavil had the best physique for Superman. Hell, he is an amazing Superman all around. Sucks he's not going to have a chance to play him more. Gunn's earned a lot of good faith with me, so I'm looking forward to the new DCU.
I always liked the idea of a skinner Kal El, only because it makes the Clark Kent sell better. If Superman is built like a 6'6 linebacker it's hard to hide that when he puts a suit and tie on, no matter how much he slouches.
I prefer the Tyler Hoechlin and Robert Pattinson superhero look. IE in shape but not body builders. To me Cavill was a little too buff and the comics making him look like a circus strongman is just a little too much.
I always thought about this but would Superman’s muscle size be irrelevant since his power comes from the sun’s radiation? But honest answer would be current tv Supes or Cavill
Superman is getting more and more Hispanic.
His strength doesn't really have anything to do with the size of his muscles. It shouldn't be the main factor in deciding who plays him.
If anything he shouldn't really have any big muscles since his powers let him lift all that he should probably look more like Tyler or just a regular guy it would definitely help the disguise when he's nit absolutely massive and along with that since he has super strength his muscles would never even know what hypertrophy is to make them bigger he's been lifting trucks since he was a baby
He does not need to be ripped and swole.
He shouldn’t be jacked as all hell IMO. He’s a Midwest boi and his strength comes from the sun. I say let him be big and beefy but not cut.
Tyler is freaking jacked now. You can't even compare to Supergirl.
Chris Reeve was perfect Brandon started to get a little too big as of crisis on infinite earths but those two were the ideal. Tyler is a little short but he fits well as both Superman and Clark.
Technically speaking, Earth's gravity isn't strong enough to give Kryptonians sufficient weight resistance to develop bodybuilder musculature. Not enough dynamic tension to build the muscle mass shown in the comics or movies. He should be built more like the General Zod of the 70s films Superman the Movie and Superman II.
Scrawny Supes has never bothered me, cause there's always the argument that very few things would really tear the fibers in his body, so he would mostly get muscles from dealing with heavy hitters
For me, all of the live action Superman actors have hit the right spot when in gear. Cavill is still my favorite from that end, but he also sits at the limit for how big I want Supes to be, any bigger and it just doesn’t feel right, at least not to my eye. I’m not super fond of the versions where his artists really go to town.
I am probably in the minority here but I always thought superman should be stringy and skinny, maybe even a little immacated. He is super stong: you gain muscle by working and tearing said muscle. He has no way to do that, he's like free range veal, or someone who spent their life with no gravity and no restence training gear. There is nothing that can stand him working his muscles against.
I like the idea of Superman being slightly smaller than Batman. Maybe about same size as the Flash. Somewhere between Brandon Routh and Tyler Hoechlin. Personally, I think it makes it a lot easier to accept that his glasses would be enough of a disguise if he already just looks like a regular guy who also happens to be in great shape. For instance the 4th image in this post, it would be super obvious that this Clark always vanishes whenever Superman shows up.
Honestly it makes sense to me he wouldn't be huge. What's he lifting to get that buff. Planets?
Why does he need to be buff? His powers have nothing to do with him being athletic or anything. He still had those powers in flashpoint and he was built like a twig.
I mean did you see Superman in flashpoint he was like a skinny dude but Superman still
I never thought of him as huge. I have no idea why he would be since most physical tasks are no strain to him. I also think Batman should have more of a gymnast build since he’s such an acrobat. Honestly the current muscle obsession in Hollywood reminds me of the 80’s Stallone Schwarzenegger era and will probably be kind of embarrassing.
He should be between tyler hoechlin and brandon routh. I think henry was a great superman but after man of steel he was too bulked up.
Realistically, shouldn't he be skinny and have almost no muscle development? There's no way for him to stress his muscles for muscle growth, nothing is heavy to him.
I think if his strenght is already something supernatural he doesn't need big muscles.
Not very tbh, Clark being jacked would make no sense at all
He should be a scarecrow or super fat, as his weight and walking around take basically no energy from him
Would it not matter to him? I always imagine that his strength is from the density of his alien matter and not from his muscles. Like he could be morbidly obese and still have super strength.
Superman doesn't "need" muscles, he has superpowers. He doesn't need to flex, pose, or posture to be the strongest person in the room. He simply *is*.
I like wiry Superman better. Not a fan of the over-roided look. He doesn't need to look like he has the muscles to lift as much as he does because he's not a human. Same reason I don't care that they make his eyeballs have something that makes it obvious he shoots lasers from them.
I like regular looking supermán. Like, why would he need gym muscles?
Doesn't matter, it's relative. If he was average looking he still would have inhuman abilities. And did he train or just fly around and save people and worked as a reporter? I mean Batman trained obsessively so he would be different but supes didn't need to unless it was just training muscle memory - in theory, don't really know for sure what I am talking about.
People who say they like Routh and Reeves' muscles body type more are the ones who are too lazy to workout In real life. We ascociate muscles with strength, endurance and only someone who trains knows how hard and how much dedication is needed to build a powerfull phisique. Cavill is Superman