He refused, instead becoming an early adopter of a now-familiar routine: He hired a trainer and put on 30 pounds of muscle. Producers, concerned by Reeve’s naturally tall and slender frame, pressured him to wear fake muscles under his suit. It was during this time that Christopher Reeve was tapped to become the new Superman. With these materials in high supply, supersuits finally started using stretchy material-a development that would lead to an emphasis on heightened fitness. Spandex, polyester, and Lycra, which were invented in the late ’50s, had been refined, and had found new popularity in the disco era. (Curiously, the average American man today, in the age of uber-buff superheroes, has a BMI of 29, according to the CDC.)Ĭhristopher Reeve as Superman in 1983 (Warner Bros.)īy the late ’70s and ’80s, synthetics were booming. In the early 1960s, adult men had an average BMI of about 25, which sits in the “normal” range-a healthy mix of muscle and fat. Overall, they revealed little to no hint of the muscles below, highlighting that the physical image of these superheroes was much closer to that of their viewers. West later joked about his appearance on the show when he made a cameo appearance on The Simpsons, saying, “Back in my day, we didn’t need molded bodysuits, pure West.”Īt that time, Hollywood hadn’t yet discovered skin-tight Lycra or molded plastic pectorals, so costumes were mostly full-body stocking knits. His simple gray and black outfit only heightened how ordinary his physique was for a man regularly tasked with saving an entire city. (Incidentally, West was tapped for the role after he played a Bond-inspired spy in a Nestle Quik commercial.) Unlike later Batmans, West didn’t physically transform when he donned his batsuit, morphing from Bruce Wayne to the otherworldly Batman. West’s runner’s build was sturdy, and out of costume, his Bruce Wayne looked more like James Bond than Charles Atlas.
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In 1966, Adam West took on the role of Batman in the eponymous TV series. In fact, the changing bodies of Superman, Batman, and other superheroes of the DC and Marvel universes illuminate the ways the ideal male physique has evolved in American pop culture over the decades.Īdam West as Batman in 1966 (20th Century Fox) As an infographic published by The Economist reveals, Adam West’s Bruce Wayne, weighing in around 200 lbs, might surprise viewers familiar with Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader (158 lbs), while both heroes would be dwarfed by Ben Affleck’s Batman (216 lbs and 6’ 4”). Over the past few decades, there’s been a substantial amount of fluctuation when it comes to portraying the “perfect” male body. The ritual of actors bulking up or shedding fat for their superhuman roles may feel inevitable now, but the current standard for impossibly brawny comic-book heroes is something of a new development. King Richard Is an Unconventional Sports Biopic David SimsĪnother unavoidable fact is that these movies will feature actors who undertook rigorous diet and exercise regimens in preparation for their spandex suits.
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