With superhero movies being all the rage there are so many actors that need to get in, and stay in, superhero shape. While a bit of padding in the superhero costume and a bit of CGI can always help the effect, the stars still need to work out so that audiences will buy them as superheroes. This includes Ant-Man himself Paul Rudd, who apparently put himself through a lot for the first film because he knew he had a shirtless scene, though the shot never made the final film.
Speaking with Men’s Health about his workout and diet regime, Paul Rudd says that he actually likes the routine that has been put together when he needs to get into superhero shape, saying that he feels like less of an imposter while wearing the costume. Still, it’s a pretty serious routine that involves starting the workout before you even have breakfast. Rudd explained…
I get up and I have a cup of coffee, and then I do cardio before I eat anything. I never would’ve done that before [Ant-Man]. I lift weights, hopefully at least three times a week. And I’ve learned so much about how my body reacts to foods, how it reacts to exercise, and where I’m happiest and how much it affects me mentally. . . . If I’m in this suit, running around playing a character who’s supposed to be a superhero, I just feel better. And I feel less like an impostor. It sounds like hell. It’s really not. I find routine comforting.
Considering the fact that most of the superhero costumes that we see in the movies cover the actors from head-to-toe, many of them could likely get away with not going quite as hard on the workout. But when the movie requires the actor to walk around without a shirt, then there’s really nowhere to hide. Just ask Chris Hemsworth, who has shown off more than his shirtless body in the past. While Paul Rudd has never had a shirtless scene in the MCU, it turns out he almost did. And while it frustrated him to see the scene cut, because he’d done the work, he also admits that he likely wouldn’t have been able to take it seriously. Rudd continues…
The shirtless scene was cut from Ant-Man. On one hand, I was annoyed because I put in a year’s worth of hard work. On the other, if I had to look at myself shirtless in a Marvel movie, I would just want to make fun of it in every single way. Ultimately the movie was running long, and the scene wasn’t essential.
The scene was cut from the film, but it was released as a deleted scene so it can be found for those that are looking for it.
I’m not sure everybody would agree that a shirtless Paul Rudd isn’t essential, but either way, we have yet to really see the hard work the actor has put in to get into superhero shape. It sounds like there probably isn’t a newly filmed shirtless scene in the forthcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but I suppose we’ll find out when the film hits theaters in a couple of weeks.
