Tom Welling or Brandon Routh?

[Preus]

Couldn't have said it better myself, thank you King Krypton. I guess people just want the men who play Superman to be ridiculously big. Judging by the fact that they shouldn't be meat heads, the men who have dawned the cape and costume have had the right build seeing as they haven't been ridiculously big.

[chriskenny]

None of the actors who've played Superman have "the right build." Only Mike O'Hearn in the Sandy Collora fan-films has "the right build," and it can be argued that he's too bulky to pass off as a geeky, soft-spoken guy who's supposed to blend into the background. All of the major Superman actors have been much leaner and sleeker than the comic book visuals. Based on this argument, you might as well say that none of the actors have been appropriate.

And since Welling won't play Superman by his own choice, the point is moot.

I agree. His powers come from the sun, not his muscles. The whole HUGELY built Superman is fairly new. The Curt Swan or even the Dan Jurgens version isn't that much bigger than Brandon Routh or Tom Welling or even Dean Cain (probably the most built of them all). I'm not interested in a big, meat-headed Superman in the style of Ed McGuiness.

[Preus]

Exactly, Superman should have muscles but he definitely doesn't need to have a bodybuilder look. Tom Welling & Brandon Routh have the muscle look downpact but Welling does need just a bit more bulk, especially if they plan on letting him wear the suit.

[karasu]

None of the actors who've played Superman have "the right build." Only Mike O'Hearn in the Sandy Collora fan-films has "the right build," and it can be argued that he's too bulky to pass off as a geeky, soft-spoken guy who's supposed to blend into the background. All of the major Superman actors have been much leaner and sleeker than the comic book visuals. Based on this argument, you might as well say that none of the actors have been appropriate.

George Reeves or Christopher Reeve may not have been incredibly muscular but they both looked like powerful men . Somethin I can't say about Routh or Welling. Anyway, that was decades ago. The movies are full of Superheros and personal trainers now.

I agree. His powers come from the sun, not his muscles. The whole HUGELY built Superman is fairly new. The Curt Swan or even the Dan Jurgens version isn't that much bigger than Brandon Routh or Tom Welling or even Dean Cain (probably the most built of them all). I'm not interested in a big, meat-headed Superman in the style of Ed McGuiness.

Christopher Reeve gained a lot of weight for his role, not because Superman's power is derived from his muscles, but because Superman is supposed to look powerful. To suggest that his size has anything to do with his intellect is ridiculous. I don't think a live action Supes should look like a competition era Arnold Schwarzenegger or anything, but in these times I don't believe that a powerful physique is too much to ask for. If Ryan Reynolds can gain 25lbs for an abomination like Blade: Trinity, Brad Pitt can gain mass for an abomination like Troy, and Christian Bale can gain 100 pounds for Batman Begins, then anyone should be willing to hit the gym for Superman. No, his powers don't come from his muscles, but he's a big guy. Denying it is pointless. His powers don't come from his red underwear either, but how many people would freak out if someone changed them.

I've got nothing against Welling, but Superman has been described as big, or incredibly muscular since forever, and this physique isn't really impressive.:

http://www.squarehippies.com/welling.shtml

[Black Atom]

George Reeves or Christopher Reeve may not have been incredibly muscular but they both looked like powerful men . Somethin I can't say about Routh or Welling. Anyway, that was decades ago. The movies are full of Superheros and personal trainers now.

I'd bet both Routh and Welling are bigger than Christopher Reeve was. The problem is not their build, per se, but the way they portray the character. Welling's playing a teenage Clark, with less confidence and experience so he sould be accordingly less imposing. Also, Routh's Superman was a wimp from minute one, looking more like the sacrifical lamb than the Man of Steel. This seems to be the direction Singer wanted to take the character, though, so I don't know if it's fair to blame Routh.

[karasu]

I'd bet both Routh and Welling are bigger than Christopher Reeve was. The problem is not their build, per se, but the way they portray the character. Welling's playing a teenage Clark, with less confidence and experience so he sould be accordingly less imposing. Also, Routh's Superman was a wimp from minute one, looking more like the sacrifical lamb than the Man of Steel. This seems to be the direction Singer wanted to take the character, though, so I don't know if it's fair to blame Routh.

Reeve was 220 in the first Superman, but he looked powerful when necessary due to his broad shoulders. He was heavier for Superman III.

[chriskenny]

Tom Welling and Brandon Routh have larger physiques than Reeve. But Reeve had more gravitas.

I think the debate is silly because it is the illusion of acting. The fact remains that all incarnations are physically appropriate Supermen. However, the prescense of some is stronger than others.

But to complain that a guy like Welling is too small when he is obviously bigger than the best Superman is weird to me. I think the bottom line is one exudes the spirit of the character better than the other. But even having said that, the Clark of Smallville SHOULD NOT have that prescense.

As for Brandon Routh, I was not a big fan of the film and I thought he was very underwhelming in his delivery. Also, the script was much weaker than the original.

[Preus]

Welling is pretty big, to say he isn't is stupid. My friend thought that Routh was bigger than Welling but after seeing some pictures, it is clear that Welling is bigger. Maybe they should switch roles? :p

[marshal99]

Christopher Reeves is 6 ft 4"
Brandon Routh is 6 ft 3"
Tom Wellings is 6 ft 3"
Dean Cain is 6 ft

[karasu]

What the? Tom Welling is not bigger than Chris Kent. And Routh had a pencil neck and a muscle suit. He really looked like Superboy to me. Christopher Reeve wore nothing but spandex.

http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/im...3/eyeplant.jpg

Neither of them would fill the suit out like that without some training.

http://supermanjaviolivares.iespana.es/SRGotMilk.jpg

Routh looks about 195(outside of the suit), and the suit has muscle padding on as well.


I never expected this to become a debate lol

[Preus]

The suit doesn't have muscle padding, Routh worked out for the role of Superman. Also, Routh is 6'2.5, not 6'3.

[karasu]

The suit does have padding. There have been interviews where the special effects team have talked all about it. Don't get me wrong, Routh is in good shape, and has a good muscle definition. The suit just added a little mass.

[Preus]

Yeah, but you're making like all Routh doesn't have any muscle at all.

[Kara Zor El]

There so different it's all about your taste of what you want Clark to be like.
SR is a sequel to Superman The movie. So Routh has to emulate Reeve's version of Clark. He does that very well. He has a slight look of him and does a fantastic impression. That's the Clark I care about in live action. Welling is just nothing to me. He could be playing any number of good looking heroes in any number of stories. He's playing it the way he has been asked to and that's all fine.
The Byrne years changed Clark from a bumbling geek into Mr Cool. And it worked and was necessary because Superman comics had been going for decades. So change in comic books is a must or they will die. He will change back one day and so on and so forth. The movies are going for the most well known version, and a version that works on screen. For Clark to work as a secret identity when Superman doesn't mask himself surely has to be the case of Clark doing what he does in the Movies and that's act so small and uncomfortable that no one sees that he looks just like Supes.
Clark doesn't wear a mask on his face, he wears one on his persona. And Reeve showed us how that may work and routh has took that on very well. Welling's versing would be sussed quickly if he ever put on the cape.

[Harding Prime]

Brandon Routh did a great job bringing Christopher Reeves back to life...But the Welling is the MAN!