The 2007 film Ghost Rider was a blockbuster hit in theaters, grossing over $225 million worldwide. However, Nicolas Cage's one shirtless scene stole the spotlight, sparking controversy over his 6-pack abs.

The actor, who played the lead in the series, motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze, left the viewers' jaws hanging wide open with his shredded core. His visible abs were so stunning, they lifted brows on whether they were enhanced using CGI.

However, that accusation cannot be further from the truth. Computer graphics didn't flesh out Cage's enviable physique; four hours of grueling training every day did.

To further pop out those abs, he admitted to completely starving himself on the day of the shirtless scene, relying only on candy corn sugar. Despite the effort behind the shoot and Cage's multiple denials, the rumors persisted.

"They are real and that's why I will never work out that hard again... nobody wanted to believe it," the actor responded, frustrated at the skeptics. “What’s the point?”

Even female co-star Eva Mendes shared that had she not seen Cage on the set that day, she would've had a hard time believing they were real, too. "It looks so good that it looks too good," she added.

However, there was some CGI behind Cage's transformation into the skeletal demon in the series.

The logistics behind Nicolas Cage's iconic Ghost Rider character

The post-production and the CGI team handled much of the physical transformation into the skeletal character, including a precise CGI Ghost Rider skull using a 3D X-ray scan of Cage's actual skull.

Moreover, Cage did admit that graphics were used to digitally remove a tattoo from his body, which was ironically of a flaming skull. However, the miracles of the computer cursor ended there.

When the conversation pivoted to Cage's abs, it was the result of nothing but sheer willpower and hard work. In fact, it remains one of Cage's nightmarish highlights from the set, as he shared:

"I was trying to be nice on the set but I was starving and I didn’t know what I was saying anymore! If there is another Ghost Rider I’m dreading that kind of workout again."

The debate remains a hot topic even nearly two decades after the series' premiere, highlighting the cultural relevance of Nicolas Cage's shirtless abs scene that shook the superhero film industry.

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil