Zack Snyder: “I Wanted Henry To Be The Personification Of Physicality”

Photo: Gym Jones

While cameras have yet to roll (as far as we know) on Batman vs. Superman in Detroit, Henry has been training hard for months and even through the holidays, to be ready to reprise his role as the Man of Steel. Now in a New York Times article, director Zack Snyder and trainer Mark Twight talk about Henry's preparation for the first film:

For last summer’s megahit “Man of Steel,” Snyder sent Cavill to work out with Twight. “I wanted Henry to be the personification of physicality,” Snyder told me.

Cavill and Twight worked together for five months before production started and continued training during the six months of filming. Twight packed the pounds onto Cavill’s 6-foot-1 frame by putting him on a 5,000-calorie-a-day diet. 

Leading up to Cavill’s two shirtless sequences — a few days at the beginning of October 2011 and about six days at the end of that month — Twight scaled Cavill’s caloric intake back to about 2,800 calories. According to Twight, the pressure on Cavill was intense: “Henry was not a well-known guy, and he had chosen to be one of greatest comic-book icons ever. You’re not going to give that guy an inch.”

caps via

The article focuses on the new action-hero economy, where only a handful of actors like Henry get their big break. Twight mentions how “not everybody can handle the training" and praises Snyder, saying he's "changed the way that action movies are made." It's a great read, check it out at The New York Times. We'll continue to bring you updates from Detroit, as the Man of Steel prepares to take on Batman in the ultimate battle of the superheroes.

via Eric Lacy