Nicolas Cage Says There's Still A Chance He Plays Superman
Actor Nicolas Cage has teased that there is still a chance audiences might get to see him portray the iconic superhero Superman. While iconic director Tim Burton is not entirely synonymous with the genre of superheroes today, there was a time back in the late 80's and early 90's when this was not the case. Burton is, of course, responsible for the 1989 classic Batman, which starred Michael Keaton as The Dark Knight, and its sequel Batman Returns. While Returns certainly has its loyal fanbase, at the time of its release, many criticized it for being too dark, and containing too many adult themes. Unfortunately, due to this, the world was denied a chance to see a third Burton-helmed Batman film.
What some may not know, is that this is not the only unmade superhero film that Burton attempted. For a while, Burton was working on a film entitled Superman Lives, which would have starred Cage as the titular hero. Unfortunately, Superman Lives never made it out of the preproduction stage, however, images of Cage wearing the iconic Superman costume did still surface. This, of course, has given fans just enough to imagine what the film would have looked like, and mourn what might have been. Cage himself has appeared one time as the Man of Steel in the animated film Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, however, he has never appeared in a live action iteration of the role.
In a recent interview with GQ, Cage has teased that he could still return as Superman one day. During the interview, Cage responds to a Reddit post by a fan who wants to know why Superman Lives can't still be made today. To this, Cage gives a rather cryptic answer, asking if it would matter how much time he "appeared as the character." Cage has gone on to state that "there might still be a chance." See his full quote below:
"Would it matter how much time I appeared as the character? There might still be a chance."
Of course, this could simply be Cage stating that he would be open to playing the role if the opportunity arose. Cage is, of course, notorious for allegedly accepting nearly every role that is offered to him. However, some have begun to speculate if his statement may mean more than he lets on. It is common knowledge that the upcoming DC film The Flash will be taking a page out of Spider-Man: No Way Home's book and introduce the concept of the DC Multiverse. It has already been confirmed that Keaton will be reprising his role as Batman from Burton's '89 film. This has lead many to wonder if it's possible the film will also show universes in which Burton's unreleased characters - like Cage's Superman - still exist.
Of course, there are currently no answers to this. Cage certainly isn't revealing if he's Superman or not, and The Flash director Andy Muschietti has only stated that he is very excited for the possibilities the inclusion of the Multiverse has opened up. Which possibilities the director has decided to act on remains a mystery. Unfortunately, it seems that all fans can do for the moment is wait patiently for The Flash's 2023 release date to see if Cage makes an appearance as Superman.
Source: GQ