Charlie Cox (43) Had Jaw-Dropping Shirtless Transformation as Daredevil – Here’s How He Built That Superhero Body

Charlie Cox, who plays Matt Murdock in Marvel’s “Daredevil,” has completely transformed his body for the second season of “Daredevil: Born Again.” The 43-year-old actor revealed to Business Insider that before taking on the role, he had never been serious about fitness. “The truth is, before I did this show, I’d never really been in shape, I never really had a gym membership, and I’d always just occasionally go for a run, that kind of stuff,” Cox said.

To convincingly play the blind superhero, Cox had to be in top physical shape for fight scenes and demanding stunts while looking sharp in the Daredevil suit. He explained that staying fit after the first season was crucial. “It was such hard work to get into shape, that when we finished the first season, just on the off-chance that we were going to do it again, I didn’t let myself completely go. I just couldn’t bear the idea of having to start over again.”

Cox’s personal trainer, Naqam Washington, founder of Arazi Fitness, praised his dedication. “He’s committed. He’s the real deal,” Washington said. He added that their approach focused on sport-specific movements rather than old-school bodybuilding routines. “Nowadays, people train to get optimal movement from their body. They train like an athlete. And I have an MBA and MMA background, so it works well with Charlie. We did modern, sport-specific, MMA movement.”

New look at Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in ‘DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN’ Season 2. pic.twitter.com/7GiTlccAIt

— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) March 31, 2026

Cox also follows a strict eating schedule to maintain muscle. Being naturally slim, he eats six to seven meals a day, packed with carbs to fuel muscle growth. “Be really militant with your food and the regularity of your food,” Cox said. Washington added, “You grow or you lose weight outside the gym, and basically, a lot of it is what you eat. If Charlie wants to gain weight in lean muscle mass, his caloric intake has to be more than his energy expenditure, mathematically.”

The actor works out three to six days a week, adjusting depending on the shooting schedule. “I never do seven days [in a week], because you are supposed to rest. I tend to do five days,” Cox explained. Leading up to filming, he pushes up to six days a week to focus on performance during production. Washington noted that sessions usually last about an hour and fifteen minutes, but sometimes they extend if time allows.

Cox’s training mixes traditional strength work with functional, sport-specific exercises. He rotates body parts throughout the week but focuses on movements that improve agility, flexibility, and overall athleticism. Washington emphasized, “We do some primary muscle, but in a sport-specific, functional way, not the heavy three sets of 12, then rest… We did none of that.”

Cardio is also a major part of Cox’s routine. He enjoys running and sweating it out. Washington shared examples like treadmill sprints with incline changes, timed rowing sessions, and pushing a prowler sled across the gym floor—moves inspired by football drills. “Charlie does a version of that, but in the gym, back and forth for time intervals. Those are tough, my friend,” Washington said.

Cox’s dedication to his fitness has clearly paid off. His shredded, shirtless look in “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2 shows the hard work he put into training and nutrition. He has gone from a casual runner to a fully committed athlete capable of performing intense stunts while looking like a superhero.

It’s impressive to see an actor commit so fully to both his craft and physical transformation. It makes the action sequences feel authentic and raises the bar for superhero portrayals. Fans of the show will likely be inspired by how much work goes on behind the scenes. What do you think about Charlie Cox’s transformation for Daredevil? Share your thoughts in the comments.