Extreme body transformations are one of the worst‑kept secrets in Hollywood, and 10 stars who have taken the plunge for comic‑book movies prove it. When capes and powers dominate the cultural zeitgeist, studios demand actors who look larger‑than‑life, and that means more than a few push‑ups and clever lighting.
10 Stars Who Got Jacked for Comic Book Movies
1 Natalie Portman: Jane Foster/Mighty Thor
When Natalie Portman throws herself into a role, she goes all‑in. She shaved her head for V for Vendetta and starved herself for Black Swan. Now, as the new Thor, she faced another radical makeover – this time to bulk up with lean muscle. Portman typically stays fit through running and “Gyrotonic” exercises, a hybrid of yoga, tai‑chi, and gymnastics.
Trainer Naomi Pendergast guided Portman for four months before filming and stayed on throughout production. Though she’s tight‑lipped about the exact routine, she disclosed to Vanity Fair that she “did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes—heavyweight training that I haven’t ever done before.”
Portman has been vegan or vegetarian since age nine, so her nutrition plan leaned heavily on iron‑rich vegetables, fruit, almond milk, leafy greens, oatmeal, and pasta. Her supplement regimen was simple: Vitamin D and a monthly Vitamin B‑12 shot.
When asked by host Andy Cohen if she followed a plan like Chris Hemsworth’s, she replied, “Yes, I am training, and I’m in so much pain. Like, I’m not good at this.” Whether the pain was worth it is evident – she looks undeniably worthy of wielding Mjölnir.
2 Tom Holland: Spider‑Man
Fortunately for Tom Holland, Peter Parker isn’t built like Thor Odinson. Holland had just shed weight for his previous film, leaving him a mere six weeks to bulk up for the agile web‑slinger.
With trainer George Ashwell, Holland added an impressive 15.5 pounds (7 kg) of muscle to his 5’8″ frame. Time was tight, so Ashwell supervised him daily for those six weeks.
The regimen centered on compound lifts and functional moves to fill out the Spidey suit while sharpening agility. Exercises included stretching, deadlifts, incline bench presses, dips, bear crawls, dumbbell thrusters, renegade rows, chin‑ups, and running. After each session, Holland spent 30 minutes on the massage table for recovery.
A “two‑fist” bulking plan kept body fat low while adding muscle – each meal contained two fist‑sized portions of protein, carbs, and greens. Supplements were simple: collagen, Omega‑3 fatty acids, and vitamins. For his third Spider‑Man outing, he also integrated muscle‑stimulation devices.
3 Brie Larson: Carol Danvers
“Nine months of training really does some stuff to your body,” declares Brie Larson, a truth she lived while prepping for Captain Marvel. She already possessed a lean, sinewy look from Room, but the role demanded an extra push.
Larson teamed up with trainer Jason Walsh of Rise Movement. Walsh told Men’s Journal that her routine blended mobility work, activation drills, and primary strength moves – squats, bilateral and unilateral exercises, hip‑hinges, hip thrusts, and posterior‑chain work. Secondary circuits covered everything else.
The program featured deadlifts, a back‑and‑biceps routine, and a squat‑glutes‑legs circuit. Diet-wise, Larson began with paleo, then shifted to a “clean‑food” plan high in protein and low in carbs. She supplemented with creatine monohydrate.
The grind paid off: Larson achieved the once‑unthinkable goal of performing a one‑armed pull‑up.
4 Kumail Nanjiani: Kingo
Kumail Nanjiani put in extra effort on his way to becoming Kingo in the MCU. “Chase the pain” became his mantra.
He trained five days a week for a year before shooting Eternals, mostly with trainer Grant Roberts. The first six months were a bulking phase, employing “old‑school” lifts and electric stimulation devices to pack on size.
The next phase was “sculpting,” using classic bodybuilding workouts, drop sets (weight up as reps down), and cable machines for maximum muscle growth. Nanjiani ate four meals daily, with one cheat meal per week, focusing on eggs, chicken, rice, fish, avocados, and protein bars. His supplement stack was simple: pre‑workout, whey protein, vitamins, and cod liver oil.
He has no intention of testing his new physique in a boxing ring or MMA cage. When asked if the muscles made him more intimidating, he replied, “Not at all. These muscles are useless. They’re decorative.”
5 J.K. Simmons: Commissioner Gordon
J.K. Simmons may not have played a superhuman, but he still shredded for his role as Commissioner Gordon in 2017’s Justice League.
The 61‑year‑old Whiplash star hired trainer‑to‑the‑stars Aaron Williamson. In a Business Insider interview, Williamson said, “He wants to have some ‘beefing’ guns to show people that he is just not that guy that does Farmers commercials.”
Williamson designed a two‑workout program and a muscle‑bulking meal plan. Simmons cycled to the gym three to four days a week, warming up with 15 minutes of cardio. Workout #1 tackled chest, back, and shoulders; Workout #2 zeroed in on arms and abs, as his Instagram posts later proved.
His diet mirrored many on this list: lean meat, vegetables, oats, and a few squares of dark chocolate as “cheats.” Though he didn’t need to flaunt the physique on screen, the effort was impressive – even if he occasionally skipped leg day.
6 Chris Pratt: Star‑Lord
During his Parks & Recreation era, Chris Pratt looked more like a guardian of donuts than a galaxy‑saving outlaw. To become Star‑Lord, he enlisted both a trainer and a nutritionist.
Dr. Phil Goglia overhauled Pratt’s diet, emphasizing “clean” foods and supplements. Pratt reported using whey protein, a testosterone booster, BCAAs, and fat burners. Though he aimed to drop body fat, his overall caloric intake rose to match his intense training.
Pratt partnered with ex‑Navy SEAL Duffy Gaver, training four to six sessions weekly for five months. He followed a bodybuilding split, focusing on different muscle groups each day. The result: a loss of over 60 pounds (27 kg) while adding lean muscle.
His weight has fluctuated since Guardians of the Galaxy, but he has managed to avoid slipping back into his Andy Dwyer bod.
7 Hugh Jackman: Wolverine
Rather than debuting as Wolverine in peak form, Hugh Jackman’s physique evolved gradually over the first three X‑Men films, reaching its zenith 13 years after his initial appearance.
Jackman began as a song‑and‑dance performer, not a bodybuilder, and his shirtless moments were limited. By the time production began on 2013’s The Wolverine, the approach had shifted.
For The Wolverine and Logan (2017), Jackman hired fitness guru Dave Kingsbury. Their diet was meat‑heavy: fish, chicken, rice, oatmeal, plus massive protein intake. A key tactic was carb‑cycling – carbs before 3 p.m. on training days, and essentially none on off days.
Supplement wise, Jackman used pre‑workout, creatine monohydrate, carnitine, and BCAAs. Kingsbury structured a four‑week weight‑lifting program: progressively heavier loads the first three weeks, then a lighter‑weight week. The exercises themselves were straightforward – bench press, pull‑ups, squats, and deadlifts – everything a growing boy needs.
8 Chris Evans: Captain America
Apparently, Chris Evans once skipped leg day. Trainer Simon Waterson recalled, “He just trained his biceps, chest, and abs, and that was it. He could do a lot of pushing exercises but not a lot of pulling exercises. So he didn’t deadlift, he didn’t do many pull‑ups, he didn’t have very overdeveloped legs.”
Without a vial of super‑soldier serum, Waterson crafted a plan to both build muscle and even out lagging body parts. Their regimen blended heavy lifting with dynamic circuits, focusing on “the aesthetic and the athletic.”
Evans’s diet leaned heavily on protein, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and supplements. He disclosed using glutamine, whey protein shakes, BCAAs, and 500 mg of Omega‑3, 6, and 9 fatty acids.
Based on his physique throughout the Marvel films, Evans truly can “do this all day.”
9 Henry Cavill: Superman
Unlike Kal‑El, Henry Cavill is merely human, and his transformation for Man of Steel demanded massive calories, relentless exercise, and mental grit. Early in his career, Cavill’s build was “slim‑fit,” suitable for The Tudors and Immortals, but insufficient for Superman.
To sculpt a believable Kryptonian body, Cavill teamed with Mark Twight, the man who whipped the 300 cast into fighting shape. Cavill trained up to two‑and‑a‑half hours daily, four to five days a week. He consumed roughly 5,000 calories each day, primarily meat, vegetables, and protein shakes, while still enjoying pizza and cheat meals during the six‑month grind.
Using bodybuilding and CrossFit workouts, Cavill added 18 pounds of muscle while keeping body fat under 10 %. He openly rejected steroids, stating both he and Twight were dead‑set against them. When asked why he chose the tougher route, Cavill replied, “To take a shortcut to that place is nothing that Superman would do.”
10 Chris Hemsworth: Thor
Fitness has always been part of Chris Hemsworth’s life. Earlier roles like Star Trek and Cabin in the Woods saw him in good shape, but not quite god‑like.
Hemsworth admitted, “In the comic strip, Thor looks to be around 500 lb, so obviously that wasn’t my goal.” He wanted to look the part, be as powerful as possible, yet retain agility.
He recruited personal trainer Michael Knight (not the one from Knight Rider) to push him into true superhero form. Knight explained the routine split into two phases: a bodybuilding‑type protocol with high‑weight, low‑rep moves for maximum size, followed by total‑body circuits to shed excess fat while preserving muscle.
Hemsworth’s diet was protein‑heavy, and he employed monitored dehydration to make his muscle fibers pop. Knight cautioned that this Thor diet and exercise plan isn’t sustainable for most people.