• Sports News
  • Comics
  • What was Superman: Lives? Exploring details about the canceled DC film following confirmation of Nicolas Cage's cameo in The Flash
Nicolas Cage as Superman and The Flash poster (Images via @sambluemanning/Twitter and Warner Bros Pictures)

What was Superman: Lives? Exploring details about the canceled DC film following confirmation of Nicolas Cage's cameo in The Flash

Andy Muschietti recently let it slip out that Nicolas Cage will be having a cameo in The Flash. Talking about his love for the actor, Muschietti revealed this in an interview with Esquire Middle East and let it be known that the actor will be donning the cape for a scene in the film that will directly reference his canceled Superman movie from the 90s.

With Nicolas Cage appearing in The Flash, it will finally be delivering a payoff that has been almost three decades in the making now. Cage was originally set to play the Man of Steel in a Tim Burton-directed Superman movie, titled Superman: Lives. However, the plans fell through and the film ended up getting canceled. Now that Cage is confirmed to appear in The Flash, let's take a trip down memory lane and see exactly what Superman: Lives would have been.

Ad

Nicolas Cage's Superman: Lives was supposed to feature Sandra Bullock, Chris Rock, and more

Tim Burton’s ‘Superman Lives’ Concept Art (Nic Cage Superman)
Ad

For those who don't know, Superman: Lives was basically a movie that was almost set to begin filming but got canceled at the final moment. It was going to be directed by Batman and Batman Returns maker Tim Burton in the 1990s and had its script written by Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick and Dan Gilroy.

Superman: Lives took many shapes before a vision for it was locked in. The project originally started out with the title of Superman: Reborn and was expected to take heavy inspiration from The Death of Superman comic book.

Ad

Burton made an inspired choice by casting Nicolas Cage as Clark Kent, and the rest of the movie's cast would have featured Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane, Christopher Walken as Brainiac, and Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen, according to reports.

Andy Muschietti himself confirms that Nicholas Cage will appear as Superman in the Flash movie! #FlashMovie #SupermanLives #DCU #WarnerBros

The story would have basically seen the destruction of Krypton at the hands of Brainiac and Kal-El subsequently being sent to Earth, which would then feature a time-jump to the modern day and see Superman stopping robberies and being romantically entangled with Lois Lane.

However, Brainiac would arrive on Earth and meet with Lex Luthor and the two would plan to kill the Man of Steel by merging and becoming into an entity of their own, known as Lexiac.

Ad

They would then make Doomsday, who would be unleashed upon Superman and both of them would fight each other to death. Superman's dead body would later on be found in the Fortress of Solitude where the Man of Steel would be nursed back to health and be kept alive by Krypton's K force. He would then come back to Metropolis and put an end to Lexiac with the help of Lois, who at the end of the film, would reveal herself to be pregnant.

I really need and want to watch that Superman Lives documentary that was made back in 2015. I’m sure it’s probably pretty interesting and it would be a documentary I’d like
Ad

That's the gist of how the story would have played out, and the movie was extremely close to being getting made, with concepts and costumes already developed and Tim Burton ready to direct. It unfortunately got canceled due to budgetary reasons, after which Superman was finally rebooted again in 2006 with Superman: Returns.

With Nicolas Cage finally getting to play Superman in The Flash, it surely is a great moment for comic book fans who would have loved to see his version up on the screen. We will finally see Nicolas Cage don the cape when The Flash releases in theatres on June 16, 2023.

Ad

Quick Links

Edited by
Upasya Bhowal
 
See more
More from Sportskeeda