'SUPERMAN' EXPOSES MAN OF STEEL'S VULNERABLE, MORE HUMAN SIDE

TRULY A JAMES GUNN MOVIE, THE LATEST SUPERHERO FILM "SUPERMAN," starring David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane) and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), signals a fresh start for a new era in the DC Universe.

- By CHARMIE JOY PAGULONG

The movie injects humor and themes of hope, love, and family while exploring Superman's vulnerability and human side as he faces off against Lex's machinations. In the end, Superman triumphs with the help of Lois, his superpowered dog Krypto, and a few superhero allies.

David, who celebrated his birthday last July 8, shared during a press conference in Manila how preparing physically for the iconic role mirrored Superman's own sense of isolation in the film.

This was when he began working out, specifically on his shoulders, at James' request.

"Soon after we had this conversation, the actors were on strike. And so, James and I didn't talk for several months, and we had no contact with the studio. All I had was my own decision," David recalled. "James had very kindly said, 'You're in good shape, but I want you to work on your shoulders.'"

"It sounded to me like a pretty minor request. He didn't say, 'Look, you're a skinny guy and you've got to put on a lot of weight.' But that was my thought. In Christopher Reeve's words, I've been a string bean my whole life, and Superman is not a string bean. So I decided I wanted to put on as much weight as I could, reasonably and healthily. And I've sort of wanted to do that my whole life."

David took the challenge seriously, hitting the gym six days a week for three hours—a first for him.