10 Actors Who Got SERIOUSLY Ripped To Play Superheroes

10. Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man)

It's fitting that one of the first major superhero movies also features one of the genre's most startling physical transformations. Prior to his tenure as Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire wasn't exactly a guy you'd expect to see shirtless in many movies, though his slight frame and unassuming physical stature is precisely what made him a perfect fit for Peter Parker.

The first time we glimpse Peter shirtless in the film, he's got the undefined, typical physique of your garden variety high school bookworm. Post-spider bite, though, Peter's muscles are incredibly toned and the guy looks like he's been relentlessly hitting the gym rather than the library.

According to director Sam Raimi, the scrawny shirtless scene was one of the first scenes shot, while the bulked-up version was one of the last, allowing Maguire almost six months of martial arts, weight training, and hardcore gymnastics to get into shape.

Though the audience response to Maguire's incredible transformation was highly favourable, he seemed to quickly ditch the physique post-Spidey. Given the effort involved, who can blame him?