10 Actors Who Got SERIOUSLY Ripped To Play Superheroes

4. Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider)

While both Ghost Rider movies primarily see Nicolas Cage wearing a thick leather jacket, the first film did feature a brief scene where Johnny Blaze stares at himself in the mirror, giving the audience a lingering glimpse of Cage's insanely defined abs.

This one's especially interesting as rumours have persisted over the years that CGI was employed to touch-up Cage's abs in post-production. This is however contradicted by raw set photos showing Cage in pretty terrific shape, and Cage himself complaining that he spent upwards of 30 hours per week in the gym during production.

Cage's claim was backed up in interviews by co-star Eva Mendes and director Mark Steven Johnson, and though Cage hasn't exactly been known for maintaining a monstrous physique throughout his later career, there's nothing here he couldn't have achieved with some hard work.