Imagine having to shoot 10 hours straight under the hot sun in a 44 lb (20 kg) full body costume. This is just one of the extreme conditions superhero actors have to deal with while filming. Even if we find them distinguished in their shiny armor, stars don’t always experience the same feelings acting in their roles. Sometimes things can be really tough and that’s when stunt people come in.
1. Tom Holland experienced hydration and vision problems in his Spiderman suit.
Tom Holland was the latest Spiderman. Even though this role was the milestone of his career and he recognizes that, he also admitted in an interview that he really struggled in his costume. “The suit’s not the greatest thing,” the actor said, “wearing it is so unbelievably uncomfortable.”
He also revealed later on that he only wears a thong underneath his costume, which makes him feel really uncomfortable. But his biggest problem was staying hydrated. Since his mask doesn’t have a mouth, they had to add a plastic tube through a hole in the eye socket to supply Holland with water. He said that he felt “like a big thirsty plant.”
2. Paul Bettany couldn’t really hear when playing Vision.
Paul Bettany has played in many action movies in the past, but in his role as Vision in the Avengers: Age of Ultron he had to get his power from the Mind Stone in his head.
“It’s pretty painful, it’s uncomfortable,” Paul Bettany said about his Joss Whedon’s costume. Even though he felt really lucky about getting this huge acting opportunity, he admitted in the same interview that working in this costume for 10 hours straight for weeks and not really being able to hear well was really tough. “There’s only this much of your face open to the air,” he added.
3. Robert Downey Jr. felt kinda claustrophobic in the Iron Man suit.
There’s probably not a cinephile around the globe who doesn’t know Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. has played a lot of different roles, but he’s most well-known for Iron Man. He truly looks like he’s into wearing his armor, but he confides that even though he’s not usually claustrophobic, he cannot stand being in his costume for too long.
“I’m not claustrophobic, but after moving around in it for a couple of hours, your spirit is kind of broken and you’re like, ’Okay, time to bring in the stunt team.’” he says.
4. Chadwick Boseman felt suffocated in his Black Panther suit.
Black Panther was one of Marvel’s latest hits. But before that T’Challa, aka Black Panther, starred in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Even though the protagonist, Chadwick Boseman, looked really amazing in his black suit, the struggle was real for him since he was really anxious about running out of air in his costume.
As he said in an interview “it is not breathable” especially during the hot days. And he really had to work on it and be patient to shoot the whole movie.