Superman star David Corenswet did almost all his own stunts – stunt double breaks down iconic scenes

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As Eddie Davenport was being pulled through four inches of snow in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, pretending to be motionless and feeling the chill on his frozen face, he was realizing one of his greatest childhood aspirations. Truthfully, not all children grow up to become Superman.

In a distinctive blue suit and bold red pants, Davenport was pulled by his cloak, capturing long shots for the initial sequences of James Gunn’s DC blockbuster just seconds following actor David Corenswet who had been dragged through the same snow for the intimate close-ups.

Instead, Davenport wasn’t merely a traditional stand-in for Corenswet; rather, he often performed most of the stunts and action scenes himself due to his ability to do so.

Occasionally, during setup, we’d arrive to find that David had already taken charge of certain tasks. I’d respond with something like, ‘Great job, man!’… After a quick practice or two, he’d simply say, ‘Alright, let’s go for it,’ and he’d execute flawlessly. He blended seamlessly with the stunt team, just as we did with one another.

He mentioned: “Much of what you see, particularly the scenes involving flight and maneuvers such as flips, spins, and circles – all of that is David performing those actions while wearing a flying harness.

In addition to his regular job, Davenport served as a stunt double for Corenswet, who played not one, but two significant roles in the film – both Superman and Ultraman, a clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor.

In other words, Davenport clarifies that since Superman appears on screen during scenes like his arrest, it was him, not David, in the Ultraman suit. This means he’s the one who arrests Superman, walks him away, and even throws him into the portal on the beach. This is particularly true when the helmets came off and they had to perform action sequences together.

Essentially, Davenport took on the role of Ultraman when Corenswet was Superman and vice versa. He performed opposite Corenswet in scenes, allowing for filming to occur, then they switched roles and filmed the same scene again the following day, ensuring consistency in their performances. Therefore, any time you see Corenswet playing either Superman or Ultraman, it’s actually Davenport portraying the other character.

What stood out most to me was the thrill of facing him, standing off and engaging in a battle with Superman, and Davenport smiles about it.

In order to understand how that functioned effectively, it’s crucial to note that Davenport and Corenswet needed an extraordinary level of synchronization.

Each day we worked for approximately 10 to 12 hours, and then the following day began with, “Hey team, can you recall precisely what you did yesterday?” To which we responded, “…Well, yes, of course!” We’d head over to the monitor where they would replay a few times – James has a massive TV screen as his monitor in video village, making it easier for him to stay focused and immersed. This is according to Davenport’s recollection.

They would play back our previous day’s work and David would observe my movements. However, the primary purpose was for me to watch and learn, so I could mimic him as closely as possible. This was crucial because when it came time for VFX (Visual Effects) to do their part, they could use David for all aspects of the project.

Remarkably, there’s a striking similarity between some aspects of filming the blockbuster and playing the 2009 Nintendo Wii game Just Dance.

At times, when replaying the footage, Davenport recalls seeing both the live shot and an additional shot layered on top – himself performing, yet the ghostly figure of David as Superman could be seen, showcasing how closely he had come to replicating it.

At a few instances, James appeared from around the corner with an exclamation of delight, saying something along the lines of, “Wow, this is fantastic! We’ve got synchronous spitting going on here!” or simply, “What a coincidence, we even spit at the same time!” Isn’t that sweet?

The climactic Ultraman unveil ends up being a massive battle scene, occurring in the depths of a sewer system. In this confrontation, Davenport squares off against Corenswet, who switches between two roles on alternate days. Interestingly, it was Corenswet who insisted on performing every aspect of that fight personally.

We took turns standing face-to-face, exchanging words as scripted (Corenswet), then swapping roles and performing the opposite side. After that, there was a laser blast, followed by a thrilling chase scene involving sewers, fights, flips, spins, and collisions with sewer grates. This intricate sequence was achieved through constant back-and-forth between me and David.

David performed every part of that thrilling stunt sequence – crashing into the grating, followed by the struggle on the grate, and ultimately tackling me off-screen. He handled everything, even both sides. It was simply amazing to collaborate with him because typically, when the action gets intense like this, you’re working with stunt doubles during fight scenes…

It was no real shock that David was carrying out this action; in fact, it was the usual scenario. What took us by surprise was the thought, ‘But this isn’t David?’ Such a situation rarely occurred.

He notes: “This demonstrates David’s versatility too, since he was responsible for all the action scenes and fights when portraying both Superman and Ultraman – particularly Ultraman without his helmet on. From an actor’s perspective, it’s challenging to switch between characters, performing the entire fight sequence as one character, and then learning the opposite moves for the other character. This requires a deep understanding of reversed fighting techniques.

It was fascinating to observe the stark contrast between his actions as Superman and another character, demonstrating a totally distinct mindset. The most thrilling aspect for me was transitioning from witnessing him as Superman one day, to encountering an entirely different persona the next. Without a doubt, that moment was the most captivating part of the experience.

Among the many anticipated scenes from the film, one that garnered much discussion prior to its release was when Superman was apprehended by a mystery figure – none other than Ultraman, as it turned out.

I forcefully push David to the ground, attach him with a harness, enter a helicopter, and then Rick Flag Senior apprehends him. When this scene was featured in the trailer, it sparked a lot of discussion on social media.

As a fan, I couldn’t help but feel the excitement and anticipation when people were guessing who it would be. Then, to my delight, I heard whispers of “Henry Cavill!” And there I was, thinking to myself, “That’s right, it’s me!” The moment when Ultraman takes down Superman on screen? That’s actually me, your favorite fanboy, as Ultraman! What a thrilling twist!

Without a doubt, great care was taken in developing the intricate aspects of the character working off-stage – such as Superman’s muscular build, a topic that was extensively discussed between Corenswet and Davenport following the actor’s weight gain to 40 pounds for his performance.

I inquired about his preferred physique for our character: “Are we aiming for a Hollywood-style Superman, all ripped and shredded? Or would a farm boy look, more like a linebacker than a typical superhero, be more suitable?” His response was that it should be the latter.

According to Davenport, what he really desired was that specific body type, but he also seemed to have a need to be larger overall, resembling characters from an animated series in a sense.

As a dedicated cinephile, whenever we were fitting costumes or discussing fight scenes, James would often say, “Here’s my vision for this battle,” and the stunt team would leap into action. It was always understood that he wanted to create something reminiscent of the animated Superman series.

Despite focusing on minor aspects, Davenport clearly understands that being involved in a new phase of one of history’s most recognized characters is a significant milestone.

While filming, he reminisces about the set atmosphere: “It was definitely one of those situations where we all sensed a significant responsibility. However, the overall mood on set didn’t seem to harbor much uncertainty about their actions. Everything they did simply felt appropriate.

He notes: “This interpretation is unlike anything else portrayed regarding this character; it’s unique and generating quite a buzz. As people exit the theater, there’s a lot of chatter about it.

Typically, after exiting a theater, people are quick to criticize various aspects they disliked. However, the response to Superman has been more like, “Wow, check out how they pulled that off, and look at that technique.” And I find myself thinking, “Alright, this is something unique.

Watching the children play dressed as Superman, accompanied by their fathers also in costume, makes this event unique and significant.

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2025-07-28 21:34