Following his recent cameo appearance, fans are wondering why Nicolas Cage didn’t play Superman in the canceled Superman Lives movie. The backstory behind Cage’s Man of Steel has intrigued many viewers. Here’s the need-to-know info about Nic Cage’s Superman movie.
Why didn’t Nicolas Cage play Superman?
Nicolas Cage didn’t play Superman because his Superman Lives movie was canceled.
In the 1990s, Warner Bros. tried to develop a Superman project titled “Superman Lives.” Jon Peters was set to produce, while Kevin Smith was hired to write its script. Nicolas Cage was cast to play Kal-El, and Tim Burton was attached as the director. Cage even went through costume testing while sporting long hair as Superman.
But just as the production was about to begin, Superman Lives was canceled. Kevin Smith revealed its original story years after cancelation. It would have featured Superman battling a giant spider in the climactic fight. This idea was ultimately used in The Flash during a multiversal cameo sequence.
Why was the Nicolas Cage Superman Lives movie canceled?
Nicolas Cage’s Superman Lives movie was allegedly canceled due to its high production costs.
Warner Bros. had produced a lot of big-budget bombs in the 1990s, and Cage’s Superman Lives had already cost $30 million before it even began filming (via New York Post). That was due to multiple script rewrites as even after Kevin Smith, the likes of Wesley Strick and Dan Gilroy were brought in for rewrites.
It wasn’t a regular Superman story as, according to Smith, producer Jon Peters wanted to strip the character off of a few trademark abilities. (via The Hollywood Reporter) So, with a shaky script, a highly different Superman, and quite a few flops on WB’s hands, Superman Lives became a risky venture. Ultimately, it was called off, and the creatives moved on to other projects.
For more DC updates, check out why Ben Affleck’s scene was cut from Aquaman 2. Also, learn more about Black Manta.
