Learn how Nicolas Cage teased his Man of Steel movie, 'Superman Lives,' and how he reacted when the Tim Burton project fell through.
THE FLASH SPOILERS AHEAD!
After watching The Flash, even the biggest DC Comics fans might be asking why Nicolas Cage played Superman in one of the many colliding alternate universes in Barry Allen’s (Ezra Miller) Speed Force showdown. While Michael Keaton’s highly-anticipated return as Batman was the most substantial tribute among several loving homages to past adaptations, the most surprising nod is to another Tim Burton comic book project, Superman Lives.
"It's a different time now. We're going into the new millennium," Cage said in 1997. "I think it's time to reexamine the myth of Superman."
The Oscar winner explained his vision for the Man of Steel to ET across multiple interviews in the late ‘90s, and conversely shared his disappointment after the film was canceled shortly before cameras were set to roll.
And with that, here’s a timeline of the movie’s doomed production, from its gestation in development hell to the few-weeks span that separated its peak promise and crumbling demise.
1997 | UP, UP AND AWAY…
"Superman, to me, is a character who is a misfit," Cage told ET in May 1997. "He's an alien from another planet and he's trying to fit in, so there's a lot you can do with those feelings of not being normal."
"It’s like, the English have Shakespeare and they're very proud of it," he added. "And the Greeks have their myths. And America has Superman. And Batman. And Mickey Mouse. And this is our major export."
At the time, it had been a decade since the glasses-wearing Daily Planet reporter last graced the silver screen (with Christopher Reeve’s final turn in 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace). It was also a watershed career interval for Cage, following the aggressive versatility he displayed across Raising Arizona and Moonstruck.
"I've also believed in comic books and the importance of comic books for children, especially when they're handled right," said Cage, who’s stage name is itself a tribute to Marvel’s Luke Cage. "Because they had a pretty interesting impact on my childhood."
Thanks to The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off, the newly-minted Academy Award winner was also celebrating an unofficial superlative: Hollywood’s most unlikely action hero. As his Spider-Man Noir’s Uncle Ben might say, Cage recognized that with great power comes great responsibility.
"A lot of children out there feel different. So, with any luck, I might be able to affect kids," Cage said, adding that he hopes children will "think twice before they tease that oddball kid, because Superman is different."
When asked if following in the airspace of Reeve and Adventures of Superman’s George Reeves was intimidating, he acknowledged, "It's a challenge. Isn't it?"
1998 | A CHALLENGE, INDEED
"With a character like [Superman], without giving away too much, it's sort of like mapping your own country, because the guy is an alien," Cage noted to ET in March 1998.
Two years earlier, Kevin Smith was the first to start mapping. The Clerks director completed multiple drafts for the movie’s producer, Jon Peters, who has faced sexual assault allegations in recent years. Other screenwriters who joined the project included Dan Gilroy, Wesley Strick and Burton himself at one point.
"I hope there are elements that will be unique," Cage shared. "And I think, with Tim Burton, there will be. And I think it'll have a lot of soul."
And, a lot more big name stars. At varying stages, Sandra Bullock and Chris Rock were set to join the movie's cast as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson, respectively. As for its antagonist, fellow Batman Returns alum Christopher Walken was slated to play DC supervillain favorite Brainiac, in a story that was heavily influenced by the early ‘90s comic book run The Death of Superman.
"[Superman]'s from outer space. What does that mean? Nobody really knows what that means, so it gives you a lot of space and a lot of room to create something," Cage said. "I just want to start brainstorming all kinds of ideas and then distill it down to exactly what I want to say with the character."
He added, "It's a great story. The reason why Superman is an American icon, for over 50 years, is because, in the simplicity of that story, there are so many levels. You've got nurture versus nature… You have the feeling of being an outsider."
Years later, screen test footage surfaced of a long-haired Cage trying on potential suit designs. As seen in the 2015 documentary The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, additional pre-production videos and interviews with behind-the-scenes folks demonstrated how Warner Bros. wound up spending $30 million on a movie that was never shot. (Batgirl, in contrast, was canceled last year after a majority of the $90 million-film was already in the can.)
"We're going. I have to finish 8MM, which I'm doing now… And then I go right into [Superman Lives]. July 6," Cage insisted.
1999 | HANGING UP THE CAPE
"I don't know. I've sort of totally let go."
That’s what Cage said to ET in 1999 when asked for a Superman Lives status update, nearly a year after Warner Bros. announced it was putting the movie on pause. As for his reaction to Hollywood’s oft-quoted adage, "Never say never"...
"I mean, I don't want to seem like that guy who's holding on for this part because I've sort of completely walked away from it," he elaborated. "If it happens, then maybe I'll do it but I've sort of had to shift gears."
In short, money was short. Reports at the time cited that the soft receptions of The Postman, Sphere and other films had steered the studio away from big-budget gambles.
"I think it'd be fun. It would be sincere, because of my fascination with comic books. I'm interested in doing things which are pure, [and] come from an organic place that's pure," Cage shared. "I think that would be pure, because I think I could find the fantasy aspect of it. The child in me would awaken to it. But, again, I've sort of walked away from it."
THE AFTERMATH
The hottest action star. A proven director. And the superhero who helped turn its genre mainstream on the page and in theaters. What could go wrong? Not everything. Just enough.
Burton and Walken moved onto another kind of literary adaptation, 1999’s Sleepy Hollow. Meanwhile, Cage’s love of comic books continued influencing his career and personal life. He’s played a few other superheroes on the big screen (Ghost Rider and its sequel, Kick-Ass, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), and later gifted Clark’s birth name, Kal-El, to his son in 2005.
In 2017, Cage, technically, got to play Superman in a feature film. A voice-only performance in an animated movie, Teen Titans GO! To the Movies paled in comparison to the full-circle moment waiting for him six years down the line.
2023 | SUPERMAN LIVES
Just as Barry Allen discovered in his first solo outing to cineplexes, Cage learned there’s some things in life that can't be changed. Multiverses, however, are a different story.
The Flash’s climactic finale momentarily becomes a kaleidoscope of different Batmans (Adam West, then George Clooney right before the credits roll), plus Supermans and Supergirls (Reeves, Reeve and Helen Slater). In the latter category, a long-haired Cage battles an enormous spider, seemingly a nod to, as Smith has recounted, Peters' insistence during development that Superman fight a giant arachnid.
Director Andy Muschietti previously confirmed the scene’s existence to Esquire Middle East. "Nic was absolutely wonderful. Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it," the It helmer said. "I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon."
He added, "[Cage] is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic."
The Flash is in theaters everywhere.
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