The Flashdirector Andy Muschietti confirmed Superman appears in Ezra Miller’s DC movie. While most fans would have expected Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, Nicolas Cage will portray Superman in the upcoming film.
Decades beforeThe Flashmovie, Cage was cast as the Man of Steel inSuperman Lives.Initially written by Kevin Smithin the ’90s,Superman Liveswas going to be directed by Tim Burton, who intended to reimagine the character with Cage in the role. WhileSuperman Livesentered pre-production and the filmmakers set production dates, several issues ultimately led to the movie being canceled. Consequently, Cage never played the Man of Steel in a live-action project.
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However, Cage will finally play Superman inThe Flash, which Muschietti revealed during an interview withEsquire Middle East. While details on Cage’s Superman appearance were not divulged, Muschietti praised the actor’s work ethic despite his limited role. “Nic [Cage] was absolutely wonderful,” Muschietti said. “Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it.” Muschietti noted that he enlisted Cage to play Superman inThe Flashbecause he is a fan of the actor. “I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon,” Muschietti said. “He is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic.”
Although Cage voiced Superman in 2018’sTeens Titans Goanimated movie,The Flashmarks his first live-action appearance as the character. Arrowverse producer Marc Guggenheim approached Cage to play Superman in The CW’sCrisis on Infinite Earthscrossover event, which featured several actors from past and present DC projects. However, Cage’s appearance never materialized for unknown reasons. Guggenheim noted that actors turned down offers to appear inCrisis on Infinite Earthseither because the network couldn’t afford them or due to scheduling conflicts. It’s unclear if either of these reasons applied to Cage’s situation.
Cage’s casting as Superman was controversial at the time. While Burton argued Cage could convince audiences that he was from another planet, some fans didn’t think he captured the character’s traditional square-jawed, muscular image. However, Cage has since endeared himself to audiences for delivering dynamic performances and often chewing the scenery withroles such as Dracula inRenfield. Perhaps a Superman movie with Cage would have been of more interest to moviegoers today.
Regardless, fans will finally see Cage as Superman inThe Flashafter over two decades. Some people would have preferred to seeCavill’s Superman inThe Flash, but others welcome the opportunity to witness what could have been with Cage’s Man of Steel.
