The Flash director 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 before The Flash movie, Cage was cast as the Man of Steel in Superman Lives. Initially written by Kevin Smith in the '90s, Superman Lives was going to be directed by Tim Burton, who intended to reimagine the character with Cage in the role. While Superman Lives entered 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.
However, Cage will finally play Superman in The Flash, which Muschietti revealed during an interview with Esquire 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 in The Flash because 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's Teens Titans Go animated movie, The Flash marks his first live-action appearance as the character. Arrowverse producer Marc Guggenheim approached Cage to play Superman in The CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover 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 in Crisis on Infinite Earths either 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 with roles such as Dracula in Renfield. Perhaps a Superman movie with Cage would have been of more interest to moviegoers today.
Regardless, fans will finally see Cage as Superman in The Flash after over two decades. Some people would have preferred to see Cavill's Superman in The Flash, but others welcome the opportunity to witness what could have been with Cage's Man of Steel.
The Flash will be released in theaters on June 16, 2023.
Source: Esquire Middle East