As Superman fans know, back in the 1990s Nicolas Cage was set to play the Man of Steel in the never-made film “Superman Lives”. The fact that it was never made makes it better than other actual Superman films says Cage.
“I would offer that the movie that Tim [Burton] and I would have made, in your imagination, is more powerful than any of the Superman movies,” Cage told Entertainment Weekly, PEOPLE, and InStyle at the Toronto International Film Festival when asked about his take on how Superman is being portrayed onscreen at the moment. “I didn’t even have to make the movie and we all know what that movie would have been in your imagination. That is the Superman. That is the movie. Even though you never saw it – it is the Superman.”
We all do have our own specific idea of what makes a good Superman film, and in our own minds we try to imagine just what “Superman Lives”, or any other never-made Superman film, would be like if it actually happened. We have an ideal picture in our heads that doesn’t always come to fruition on the big screen.
While “Superman Lives” would no doubt have been interesting… We’ll never really know whether it would have been “more powerful than any of the Superman movies” that actually got made. We’ll just have to continue to imagine…
I am not a huge Nicholas Cage fan, however, I am a very big Tim Burton fan. I think after watching the recent documentary, that “Superman Lives” would have been a very exciting film. Warner Brothers thinks too much before making a Superman film. For some reason, they act as if it is difficult to write a thrilling and captivating Superman story. With all of the decades of comic book stories alone, there is a wealth of material to mine. It was a crime that “Superman Lives” was never made. So what happens – we have to wait until 2006… Read more »
I don’t agree with what Nicolas Cage says, but I respect his opinion. After all everyone has a favorite superman movie, and I guess that even goes for superman lives even though it was never made. So maybe this is his favorite version. He did work hard for a movie that was never made. I mean all those suits he tried on and the script he was memorizing for the film that wasn’t made. So I respect his opinion.
Even before the documentary, I’ve wanted to see Superman Lives. Its the one Superman movie (besides Flyby) that I always think of what ifs. How the action would be, how the story, themes, characters be executed, directed by Burton or not. One what if question is: if there could be one Superman movie you would want to replace Superman Returns, what would it be? Answer: Superman Lives. BUT….It should exist as a stand alone one shot. Because I don’t want it to ruin Man of Steel and the DCEU. Anything associated with the DCEU with my what ifs are tired… Read more »
Certainly one of those ‘what if’ moments. And it sure would have been a great product of 1990s action and science fiction cinema of the comic book genre. Even though I would have preferred to see a relative unknown or less known actor in the role, I still couldn’t grasp the concept of Nic Cage Being Superman. I want to see a man wearing the suit and think ‘WOW!!! This is Superman!’ and not think ‘Oh…It’s Nicholas Cage…as Superman.’ It made about as much sense to me as casting Jim Carrey as James Bond. Too outlandish to be true. But… Read more »
For fear of being called a troll:
One the one hand, everything I’ve seen or read about Superman Lives makes me think it would have (at best) been Batman Returns, but with Superman.
On the other hand, given the state of Superman films at present (cue MOS and BVS supporters…), he might very well be right…
Not a defender of the Snyderverse but IMO the Nic Cage movie would have been the Batman and Robin of Superman Movies (and honestly, even S4 and BvS has at least relatively more dignity than B&R). Glad it died.
I can see your point in how bad the movie would’ve been. The documentary did shed some knowledge of the tone of the film. I can’t help but notice the similaritys between Superman lives and BVS. Both had superman wanting to prupose to Lois, both had a fight with doomsday, and both had Superman being way to serious or gloomy. Superman isn’t serious or gloomy. That’s just what I noticed though. And yeah it could be just a coincidence or maybe they got that from the comics, but I don’t know. It just seems like somehow in a way it… Read more »
I find Superman Lives to be one of those things where I wish it would be made today, just due to the fact that I want something surreal from Superman again, not this “realistic” stuff DC movies have been touting for years now
I can understand your point, and there are plenty of people who do use movies as an “escape vehicle” of some kind, to distance themselves from their and the worlds own problems, besides two kids from Ohio & Toronto with their imagination, created Superman:)
At the time I wanted nothing to do with this movie, but over the years I’ve found myself wishing more, and more it would have happened. Especially after seeing the documentary on it. Don’t get me wrong. It would have been a trainwreck, but I think it’s a movie that probably would have been so bad it’s good, and could have developed a cult following over time. I also kind of wish it happened because I think it may have been good for future Superman movies. Sort of like how Batman and Robin eventually led to Batman Begins. With Batman… Read more »
I can see how it might have become a cult film. Since Tim Burton does alot strange films, I have no doubt it would have had some kind of following.
Even strange and successful too.
After watching the video where he said that and everyone around him getting uncomfortable, I can say that he was a little belligerent. And while I like Tim’s work, I don’t think this movie would have done Superman justice. I think it would have been one movie that we would all look back at as “that one really weird Superman movie that probably shouldn’t have been made.” If I could have had a failed Superman movie wished into existence, it would have been Flyby. Yeah it’s just as crazy and probably nothing anyone would want a sequel for, but I… Read more »
Flyby was the one that had Krypton not destroyed, Luthor as a Kryptonian and Superman getting his powers exclusively from the suit which came out of a can?
Not sure about Luthor as a Kryptonian or Superman getting his powers from a can. But Krypton not being destroyed is part of it. It seemed like it would have been an interesting take for a one off movie. I would take it over Superman Returns. I think it would have had more re-watchability than Superman Returns, IMO. Of all the Superman movies that could have been made over Superman Returns, I would take Flyby. I mean, if you could take any unmade movie to have been released in 2006 and we still have the current status quo what would… Read more »
Um, didn’t both Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill tried out for Superman Flyby? I know there are some photos of them both in superman screen test suits. This was back in 2003 I think. I could be wrong with the year though.
In a way it’s funny. They both tried out for a Superman role they didn’t get but still eventually but got the part later on but for different superman movies.
Oops, I added an extra but in that last sentence.
@Clark_Jo That’s fine, no challenge taken.
I think I’d still take Returns if only because it wasn’t doing as much mucking around with basic component parts of Superman.
On the other hand maybe Flyby would have had a less drab and dour color palette.
I heard that too.