In DC’s multiverse of movies, the question of what if Nicolas Cage played Superman has huge implications for the franchise and the superhero genre as a whole. In the ‘90s, Tim Burton’s Superman Lives was an ambitious project with a unique vision and a plan to redefine one of DC’s most popular characters. At a time when comic book adaptations tried to define themselves and seemed lost in translation, with Nicolas Cage in the spotlight and Tim Burton behind the scenes, the movie could have paved a new path in pop culture and changed the history of superhero cinema.
Based on The Death of Superman comics, Superman Lives went into development but never saw completion. Among many lost Superman films, Tim Burton’s became a source of curiosity for its bizarre creative choices, with the most noted being actor Nicolas Cage cast in the title role. With scripts released, concept art shared, and documentaries made about the curiously colorful project, there’s a good idea about what this film would’ve looked like and how DC planned to reinvent the Man of Steel in the ‘90s.
After having redefined superhero movies with his darker and stylized Batman films, Tim Burton returned to direct Superman Lives with DC’s hopes of radically re-imagining Ka-El of Krypton for the ‘90s. Between Nicolas Cage’s delightfully over-the-top acting, Tim Burton’s whimsically morbid style, and the pioneering narrative ideas the film hoped to utilize, Superman Lives would have been unique. Had it not been for its cancelation, Superman Lives, regardless of Nicolas Cage’s performance as Clark Kent, the film would have profoundly changed DC’s superhero movies, like 1989’s Batman before it. Here's how Nicholas Cage as Superman would have not only impacted the titular character, but the entire history of what has become the biggest subgenre in 21st Century cinema.
Superman Lives: Nicolas Cage's Unmade Man Of Steel Movie Explained
In the aftermath of the poorly-received Superman IV: The Quest for Peace in 1987, it wouldn’t be until the ‘90s that another Superman movie began development. Based on 1992’s Death of Superman comic, the story would have explored Superman’s defeat at the hands of Doomsday, Brainiac, and Lex Luthor. Envisioned as a very different Superman story, it explored a larger DC universe, themes of alienation, and ideas seemingly lifted out of 1950s B-movies. It was an odd film with many strange creative choices, but Superman Lives wanted to break the mold and raise the bar when people thought of Superman.
Superman Lives planned to utilize an all-star cast and high-profile talent throughout various stages of conception. Besides Nicolas Cage, Superman Lives had Sandra Bullock intended for the role of Lois Lane, Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, and Christopher Walken planned to play Brainiac. Additionally, behind the scenes, director Tim Burton was joined by a crew of offbeat visionaries who crafted extravagantly stylized costumes, props, and settings. At its core, the film intended to be an onscreen spectacle that challenged the cast, crew, and audiences like no Superman movie had before.
Would Nicolas Cage Have Been A Good Superman?
George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Tyler Hoechlin, and Henry Cavill, among others, helped define the character of Clark Kent. Often portrayed as a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, most people think of him and his superhero alter-ego as straight-edged, good-natured, and calm. Meanwhile, having been known for his over-the-top performances in films like Face-Off, The Wicker Man, and other such films, Nicolas Cage doesn’t strike many as the Superman-type, despite eventually having voiced him in Teen Titans Go! To The Movies. However, while it’s easy to dismiss him as a traditional Clark Kent based on Nicolas Cage’s other movies, Superman Lives had a very different take on the character.
When Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage took on Superman Lives, they wanted to explore the psychology of Clark Kent, similar to how 1989’s Batman tapped into the psyche of Bruce Wayne. Like Michael Keaton, who was once known for his roles in movies like Mr. Mom, Burton wanted an unconventional choice to play the Daily Planet reporter. In Burton’s version of the Superman story, Clark became devastated after discovering he was an alien living among humans. Subjected to feelings of isolation, fear, and confusion, Clark Kent’s description in Burton’s film portrays him as: “a bigger freak than Superman.” Considering Nicolas Cage’s brand of acting, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine him as an alien living among humans or beside other actors such as Christopher Walken. Additionally, many doubted Tim Burton’s casting of Michael Keaton, but when Batman debuted, it proved to be one of the Caped Crusader’s defining performances. Nicolas Cage would have been a good choice for Superman, just not a traditional one, making for a memorable performance at the very least.
How DC Would Be Different If Nicolas Cage Had Played Superman?
Culturally, Nicolas Cage as Superman would have changed the course of cinema history. Not only from how people would have perceived the Man of Steel, but how DC’s movies would look today depending on Superman Lives’ success. What’s important to note is that Superman Lives’ development happened when comic book films were still trying to find an identity. In the 90s, DC’s movies found themselves stuck somewhere between Tim Burton’s stylized Batman films and the enjoyably campy Joel Schumacher movies, as well as unwilling to take risks on unconventional films like Superman Lives. However, had Nicolas Cage been allowed to star in Superman Lives; the ideas he, Tim Burton, and early-draft writer Kevin Smith contributed throughout development would have been profound, including a shared DC movie universe before the DCEU.
In interviews, writer Kevin Smith made it clear he intended to establish one of the first cinematic superhero crossovers. Drafts of Superman Lives included villains such as Deadshot and even a cameo from Batman himself (rumored to be played by Michael Keaton), establishing one of the first cinematic superhero universes. If this was the case, and regardless if Keaton returned to the role, it would have most likely been the gimmick that saved superhero films the way it did for the MCU years later. If Tim Burton’s Batman returned and Superman lived, it would have sparked enough interest to see more Batman films, potentially more Superman movies. Inevitably it would have resulted in the crossover audiences always wanted to see, where the two battle each other, join forces, or both long before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Additionally, the project may even have spawned a Justice League or multiple Tim Burton spin-offs, with Nicolas Cage leading the new DC universe as Superman.
The reception of Nicolas Cage and the success of Superman Lives would have changed the course of superhero films from then on. If the movie did well and Warner Bros. decided to take a risk with such a flagship character, it’d be unlikely that The Dark Knight trilogy or the DCEU would begin production until much later, or perhaps not at all. Without the need for a reboot after Batman & Robin’s critical failure, DC would have embraced more high-budget and challenging comic book films. If the opposite happened, and Superman Lives took Batman & Robin’s place, the loss to DC would have been devastating. With a bigger budget and much more to lose, Superman Lives’ failure would have stifled superhero movies for years. DC would have taken longer to recover from box office losses, reliant on films like Spider-Man to renew interest if they even happened, with many studios looking to Superman Lives as an omen. Undoubtedly Nicolas Cage’s DC debut would have changed how superhero movies exist today because Warner Bros. had to invest a lot more than faith in the idea he could revive Superman and be the face of a new DC universe.
Why Nicolas Cage's Superman Lives Never Happened
As for Tim Burton’s Superman film, it received cult status without even reaching theaters at all. People became obsessed with various in-development concepts released over the years, getting a glimpse into the movie that never was, complete with costume tests of Nicolas Cage in fluorescent Kryptonian armor. However, the reason Superman Lives never happened all came down to Warner Bros., audiences, and the cinematic climate at the time.
Superman Lives was a movie that proved too ambitious and costly to produce. Additionally, films intended to be big-budget blockbusters like DC’s Steel movie and Batman & Robin proved to be failures. Warner Bros. wasn’t willing to put so much on the line, especially since Nicolas Cage and Tim Burton were planning radical changes to a beloved character. The studio canceled Superman Lives three weeks before it was to begin production, much to the disappointment of those involved. While Nicolas Cage, Tim Burton, and many people who worked on the film moved on to new projects when others brought up the unmade Superman movie, the question of what if Nicolas Cage had played Superman still raises intriguing possibilities.
