From the very early days of the sport, bodybuilders have been inspired by comic books. Bodybuilders, in turn, went on to inspire a generation of comic book artists. Now, in the era of the comic book movie, the actors who portray superheroes have inspired gym rats and future bodybuilders around the globe. In honor of this powerful, self-perpetuating circle of motivation, we rank the top 10 superheroes who got the big-screen treatment from actors who trained their asses off. The criteria to make this list was simple: The character in question had to be a hero whose original source material was a comic book, and the actor portraying the character had to show an exemplary physique onscreen. To nip some FAQs in the bud: Since Conan the Barbarian’ssource material was a novel, Arnold’s portrayal of that character is ineligible. Likewise, Arnold’s turn as Mr. Freeze in Batman and Robin is also out, as this list honors heroes, not villains.
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Green Lantern – Ryan Reynolds, 2010
The suit might glow, but the body is real. And after seeing Reynolds as Deadpool in the first Wolverine movie, and in his own solo film after, there’s no doubting the fact that his physique is the product of many long hours in the gym.
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Captain America – Chris Evans, 2011- Present
Evans got considerably bigger for this role than when he played the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films, pumping iron for an hour and 15 minutes every day, and chasing that with high-intensity cardio.
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Judge Dredd - Sylvester Stallone, 1995
This isn’t Stallone’s best shape (or film) by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s never been out of shape, and any comic hero he played would be worthy of inclusion on this list.
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Spawn – Michael Jai White, 1997
If White made the physical aspect of playing Spawn look easy, it’s because he’s a lifelong martial arts expert, holding down seven different black belts.
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Blade – Wesley Snipes, 1998, 2002, 2004
Weight training, Pilates, kickboxing—you name it, Snipes did it—and looked like a fitness model through three of his best movies.
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Batman – Christian Bale, 2005, 2008, 2012
The best Batman movies to date also featured the Caped Crusader in his best fighting shape. Bale’s version of the character is the biggest, most imposing Batman ever.
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Thor – Chris Hemsworth, 2011 – Present
Trainer Duffy Gaver put Hemsworth through an old-school bodybuilding routine and diet to achieve the character’s mythical proportions.
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Superman – Christopher Reeve, 1978-1987; Henry Cavill, 2013 – Present
Reeve’s physique might not wow the audiences of today, but there’s no denying he perfected the silver-age look of the character, and his rigorous training is well-documented. Cavill’s Superman is a perfect modern-day update, and his high-intensity approach with trainer Mark Twight made him worthy of an M&F cover.
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Wolverine – Hugh Jackman, 2000 – 2017
Over a decade after his first turn as Wolverine in the original X-Men movie, and Jackman is still going strong. His consistent conditioning over so many films made him a no-brainer for a high spot. To see the exact routine that got him bigger and more shredded than ever for The Wolverine, check out our Wolverine Workout.
From the very early days of the sport, bodybuilders have been inspired by comic books. Bodybuilders, in turn, went on to inspire a generation of comic book artists. Now, in the era of the comic book movie, the actors who portray superheroes have inspired gym rats and future bodybuilders around the globe. In honor of this powerful, self-perpetuating circle of motivation, we rank the top 10 superheroes who got the big-screen treatment from actors who trained their asses off. The criteria to make this list was simple: The character in question had to be a hero whose original source material was a comic book, and the actor portraying the character had to show an exemplary physique onscreen. To nip some FAQs in the bud: Since Conan the Barbarian’ssource material was a novel, Arnold’s portrayal of that character is ineligible. Likewise, Arnold’s turn as Mr. Freeze in Batman and Robin is also out, as this list honors heroes, not villains.
Green Lantern - Ryan Reynolds, 2010
The suit might glow, but the body is real. And after seeing Reynolds as Deadpool in the first Wolverine movie, and in his own solo film after, there’s no doubting the fact that his physique is the product of many long hours in the gym.
Captain America - Chris Evans, 2011- Present
Evans got considerably bigger for this role than when he played the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films, pumping iron for an hour and 15 minutes every day, and chasing that with high-intensity cardio.
Judge Dredd - Sylvester Stallone, 1995
This isn’t Stallone’s best shape (or film) by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s never been out of shape, and any comic hero he played would be worthy of inclusion on this list.
Spawn - Michael Jai White, 1997
If White made the physical aspect of playing Spawn look easy, it’s because he’s a lifelong martial arts expert, holding down seven different black belts.
Blade - Wesley Snipes, 1998, 2002, 2004
Weight training, Pilates, kickboxing—you name it, Snipes did it—and looked like a fitness model through three of his best movies.
Batman - Christian Bale, 2005, 2008, 2012
The best Batman movies to date also featured the Caped Crusader in his best fighting shape. Bale’s version of the character is the biggest, most imposing Batman ever.
Thor - Chris Hemsworth, 2011 - Present
Trainer Duffy Gaver put Hemsworth through an old-school bodybuilding routine and diet to achieve the character’s mythical proportions.
Superman - Christopher Reeve, 1978-1987; Henry Cavill, 2013 - Present
Reeve’s physique might not wow the audiences of today, but there’s no denying he perfected the silver-age look of the character, and his rigorous training is well-documented. Cavill’s Superman is a perfect modern-day update, and his high-intensity approach with trainer Mark Twight made him worthy of an M&F cover.
Wolverine - Hugh Jackman, 2000 - 2017
Over a decade after his first turn as Wolverine in the original X-Men movie, and Jackman is still going strong. His consistent conditioning over so many films made him a no-brainer for a high spot. To see the exact routine that got him bigger and more shredded than ever for The Wolverine, check out our Wolverine Workout.
