When I saw The Flash in theaters a couple of weeks ago, there were so many awesome surprises and fun moments that made the audience go wild. One of the best of those moments was when we got to see Nicolas Cage as Superman. Not everyone picked up on why this was a special scene, or even why Cage was there as our favorite Kryptonian. But the person who was possibly the most excited to see this happen was actor and filmmaker Kevin Smith.
This was a pretty deep cut, as it’s based on the movie that never made it to the screen, Superman Lives, that was in development back in 1998. Smith penned the script for the story, and Tim Burton was signed on as director. One of the big sources of contention during the development of Superman Lives was producer Jon Peters’ insistence that Superman fight a giant spider. Smith was forced to add the spider to his script as one of three Peters-mandated requests (the producer also wanted Superman to not fly in the film and to wear a black suit), although he’s now finally open to the idea after seeing The Flash.
In the film, Nicolas Cage pops up in the film during a scene in which the multiverse is ripped open and Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen takes a peek into different worlds. Barry spots one world in which Cage is Superman and battles a giant spider in a nod to the failed Superman Lives.
Smith told Rolling Stone about the Cage cameo scene:
“It’s mind-melting. One of the first things I thought when I saw it at the premiere is, ‘Goddammit, [the giant spider] would have worked.’ As much as I used to make fun of Jon Peters, that looked badass.”
When asked if he likes the giant spider now, Smith answered:
“You know what? He wasn’t wrong. Like, it totally could have panned out.”
Cage was Smith’s first choice to play Superman in Superman Lives. Peters preferred Sean Penn.
“He had just seen ‘Dead Man Walking,’ and he goes, ‘Look at [Sean Penn’s] eyes in that movie. He’s got the eyes of a violent animal, a caged killer.’ And I was like, ‘Bro, it’s Superman!’ So he’s like, ‘Who do you see?’ I always loved Nic Cage, so I was like, ‘Nic Cage loves Superman. He talks about knowing the comics real well. You guys should go after Nic Cage.’ And so when Tim Burton got hired, and suddenly they were going with Nic Cage, I was like, wow, I had an idea and somebody took it seriously. So there’s some sense of weird closure to everything in seeing that moment in ‘The Flash.’”
Smith is so jazzed about seeing Cage pop up in The Flash that he is urging Warner Bros. to consider once again making a Cage-starring Superman movie.
“If I’m Warner Bros., I’m going, like, ‘Fuck it. There’s a multiverse, man. Let’s give Nic Cage a Superman movie.’ You don’t have to be the only Superman, but why not? We’ve got multiple Batmans. I mean, shit, it would be one of the most interesting Superman flicks ever made. With all due respect to James Gunn and ‘Superman Legacy,’ like, you’re talking about one of the greatest American actors alive. I still would back that play 100 percent.”
He’s not wrong! I think fans would show up to watch it, and you know Cage would be down to play the part that got away! What do you think?
The Flash is now playing in theaters nationwide.
via: Variety