A deepfake trailer shows what Nicholas Cage could have looked like if Superman Lives ever became a reality. The infamous movie-that-never-happened was originally penned by Kevin Smith, who has spoken candidly about the odd encounters he had with legendary Hollywood producer Jon Peters concerning the film. Smith was given numerous odd requirements for the script - like Superman fighting a giant spider and Brainiac gifting Lex Luthor a "space dog." The film was to be directed by Tim Burton, fresh off his success from Batman, and star Cage as the titular hero. The film was eventually canceled, and the next Superman film would be Bryan Singer's Superman Returns.
The story behind the making of Superman Lives is, arguably, more interesting than the film itself. The film was to follow the Death and Return of Superman comic storyline, with Jonathan Lemkin originally penning a script titled Superman Reborn several years before Smith was brought on board. Once Burton signed onto the film, Smith's script was scrapped and Burton more or less started from scratch. Despite going into pre-production and doing costume tests, location scouting, and the beginnings of art decoration, the film progressed slowly. After a year, Burton dropped off the project, citing difficulties working with Peters as the main reason for his departure.
We now have a slight glimpse at what Cage could have looked like, as YouTube user stryder HD uploaded a deepfake they created that inserts Cage into Superman Returns. The video places Cage over Brandon Routh, who played the Man of Steel in Superman Returns, creating a slightly uncanny peek at what could have been if Superman Lives ever came to fruition. Check out the video below:
However, deepfakes aren't the only way we can see some images and video from Superman Lives. Back in 2018, some footage of screen and costume tests leaked online. The footage, from 1997, shows several test concepts for different versions of Superman's suits. More behind the scenes clips and pictures were revealed in the 2015 documentary The Death and Return of Superman Lives: "What Happened?" which chronicles the birth and death of the film.
Cage himself argues that the story behind the doomed production of Superman Lives is more powerful than the film itself would have been. Cage argued that whatever form the film takes in the viewer's imagination is the true story. Given the wacky and outrageous Hollywood lore behind the film, it would be hard to argue with Cage's point. However, getting a look at what Cage could have looked like in Superman Lives is interesting, even as a deepfake.
Source: stryder HD