Footage of next summer’s video game adaptation Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has popped up online, and with it has popped up some minor controversy. Apparently, viewers are speculating that Jake Gyllenhaal’s abdominal muscles, seen prominently in at least one shot, are not actually his own. Because this footage is from the set and not from some post-production house, it can’t be an airbrush job, but it might be a prosthetic plate covering up his own less-toned abs. The “conspiracy” theory originates with commenters at Towleroad and was brought to most people’s attention via Kyle Buchanan at Movieline. But is it worthy of discussion?

I just recently watched Chris Bell’s steroid documentary Bigger Stronger Faster*, so I’m concerned with the allegations, and whether or not they’re of importance. Shouldn’t we be glad that Gyllenhaal may not have needed to get juiced? Or, should we instead demand that the actor, if not so ripped, show off his own body, so as not to fool young men who might grow up thinking they need a body type that isn’t in fact real? We know, thanks to Bell’s film, that such image issues are as harmful to men as skinny model types are damaging to women, so perhaps this is indeed a necessary discussion.

Unfortunately, the ab conspiracy/controversy has only been brought up by a few so far, while other blogs are merely taking the bait and talking about how amazing Gyllenhaal looks. Check out parts of both discussions after the jump:

• In Kyle Buchanan’s post at Movieline, he starts off almost with reference to the Bell Family’s tragedy and continues with a before/after comparison:
  

  Ah, Hollywood: a place where winsome, dreamy-eyed slacker boys can go to become unbelievably shredded bodybuilders…Sure, Gyllenhaal has bulked up before for Jarhead, but the quality of his Persia sixpack and its lack of resemblance to concomitant, shirtless paparazzi photos have provoked the internet’s most conspiracy-prone beefcake lovers to smell a rat.

• Mark Graham at Vulture makes a male/female comparison:
  

  From Keira Knightley’s digitally enhanced bosom in King Arthur to the Sienna Miller bra-stuffing allegations that plagued the set of G.I. Joe, Hollywood has a long and sordid history of using visual trickery in an attempt to make its leading ladies seem more appealing…Should we be happy that Hollywood might now be an equal-opportunity offender or upset with Jake for possibly taking a shortcut with regard to crunches?

• Paul Constant at SLOG speculates on how the use of fake abs might affect Hollywood:
  

  If this is true, then I look forward to a bold new future of schlubby actors with the bodies of Adonis. Perhaps Steve Buscemi can don the fake chest for the inevitable Wrath of Khan remake?

• Elisabeth Rappe at Cinematical continually acknowledges the spectacle of Gyllenhaal’s body:
  

  It would be nice to see something from Prince of Persia other than Jake Gyllenhaal’s incredible physique, wouldn’t it?…Amazingly, Gyllenhaal is actually dressed in most of the scenes! You don’t get to see much (and you hear nothing, as its all narrated by the soft tones of Jerry Bruckheimer) but what you do see is pretty wonderful eye-candy. It’s like a landlocked Pirates of the Caribbean crossed swords with Aladdin.

• Chris Hewitt at Empire can’t stop looking at those “rock-hard tasty abs;” nor can he stop writing about them:
  

  …or Jake Gyllenhaal and his rock-hard tasty abs training for fight sequences, or Jake Gyllenhaal standing on a mountain-top, staring dreamily into the distance with his dreamy puppy-dog eyes and his rock-hard tasty abs and… erm, that’s probably enough of that.

• Daniel Barna at JoBlo makes it sound like Gyllenhaal’s body, separately, shares top billing with the actor:
  

  …features Gyllenhaal as the unruly prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop a maniacal ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. It also features Jake Gyllenhaal sporting one of the more enviable six packs in recent memory. Wow.

• Simon Dang at The Playlist notes that producer Jerry Bruckheimer may be really pushing the body image:
  

  We think this exchange personifies the film; Interviewer: “And you mentioned Jake Gyllenhaal, one of Hollywood’s hot young stars right now, what does he bring to the role of the Prince of Persia?” Bruckheimer: “Well he’s very handsome, and he is in fantastic shape.”

• Vince Mancini at Film Drunk presents Bruckheimer’s “movie casting checklist, in order of importance.” Note #s 4-10:
  

  1. Is Nic Cage available?  If no, then…
  2. Hotness
  3. Wig-wearing
  4-10. Abs
  11. Swordfighting
  12. Rap
  13. Acting talent

• Devin Faraci at CHUD.com isn’t sure those abs are even appropriate for the character:
  

  You can take a look at the footage below, but if you want my opinion… well, it’s going to take some work to convince me that Jake Gyllenhaal is a warrior and not a West Hollywood personal trainer.

• Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects addresses another angle for controversy:
  

  He make’s a fantastically believable Persian don’t you think?  For all the people bitching about Disney’s supposed mishandling of the animated Princess and the Frog and M. Night Shyamalan’s Last Airbender, where is the outcry for racial equality here?  (Please note I don’t actually think there should be one, I’m just curious why there isn’t.)  Incredible abs for a street urchin though…

Now, check out the footage yourself and weigh in below on whether or not you think he’s faking it, whether or not it matters and/or what you think of Hollywood’s male body-image problem.