Nicolas Cage's Thoughts on Superman's CGI Appearance in The Flash and Potential Return

Nicolas Cage's Reaction to Superman's CGI Appearance

Following the surprise appearance of his version of the character in the movie, Nicolas Cage shares his thoughts on Superman's CGI appearance in The Flash. Long before Brandon Routh or Henry Cavill donned the iconic red, yellow and blue suit for the big screen, Cage was once lined up to bring the DC superhero to life with the Tim Burton-helmed Superman Lives, which was ultimately scrapped after Burton left due to creative differences. Cage's Superman would instead appear during the multiversal climax of the Ezra Miller-led The Flash, with CGI used to create a de-aged version of the Oscar winner.

Nicolas Cage's Superman costume test

During a recent interview with Deadline for his Golden Globe-nominated role in Dream Scenario, Cage was asked about the Superman cameo in The Flash. The star admitted to feeling a little 'perplexed' by the CGI used for the Man of Steel's appearance, and while he was 'happy' to see it come to life, it still 'didn't look [right]'.

But that was a long time ago. And then, subsequently, what happened with The Flash… I wasn’t upset, I was just perplexed. I was just like, “It wasn’t what I shot,” and I was worried about it. Like, “Did you just tell me that I was witnessing the destruction of the universe, so you could take pictures of me and then animate me?” Whether it was through CGI or AI, that wasn’t the conversation we had. So I was confused.

But I was still happy to look at it. I still wanted to see Colleen Atwood’s suit, which I maintain is a beautiful suit, and 50% of that [character] was my design. I wanted Superman to have the long, kind of black Samurai hair and a vulnerable feeling — almost no blinking, a stillness in his eyes. And so it was 50/50. It was Tim and myself, we had designed something, and it never came to light, so when I saw it moving, I was very happy that Andy Muschietti wanted me to do it. I did get some satisfaction from seeing the character, but to me, it didn’t look [right]. But then, Superman is an alien. Kal-El is from another planet. So in that way, the CGI kind of looked right, because it’s alien. It doesn’t look real. It doesn’t look like it has a heartbeat. So I can look at it that way and think that it worked.

Will Nicolas Cage's Superman Return After The Flash?

While seemingly a throwaway cameo for those who have followed both Cage and the legacy of DC adaptations throughout the years, his inclusion in The Flash did spark discussions about a proper version of Superman Lives being made. The return of George Clooney as Bruce Wayne following the infamous Batman & Robin flop similarly led some to believe that WB might be keen to revisit some of their older actors heading into James Gunn's DC Universe reboot. While Gunn has already confirmed that Clooney will not be back, Cage further told Deadline that it seemed unlikely he would be back as Superman:

I don't think that's coming back in any way. And listen, I wasn't angry about the situation. I really wasn't. I was just confused. I was mystified by what happened [in the first place], because [Tim Burton], one of the greatest directors in the world, had wanted to make the movie and already had kind of defined the way to make the best comic book based storyline with the Batman franchise with Michael Keaton. So I couldn't understand why that studio, who had such success with that fantastic, brilliant director, would pull the plug.

Given Gunn is aiming to start completely fresh with the DCU, including confirming none of the Justice League members cast by Zack Snyder would be back, it makes sense Cage wouldn't return. Gunn's first project, Superman: Legacy, has already found its leading man in Pearl's David Corenswet and, while not an origin story, it's still expected to explore the early years of the titular character in his heroic adventures. With Cage's cameo in The Flash showing a version of Superman around the same age as Corenswet, it would only further complicate a timeline to have the Oscar winner feature in the movie.

The only potential path for Cage's Superman to return at some point after The Flash would be a project not connected to Gunn's DCU. The filmmaker has already confirmed his interest in producing Elseworlds titles, a label already given to the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux and The Batman — Part II, leaving the door open for such legacy projects as Superman Lives to be produced. However, with Cage seeming doubtful about his chances, it seems unlikely audiences will ever see him don the Kryptonian suit again.

Conclusion

Nicolas Cage's candid remarks on Superman's CGI appearance in The Flash and the possibility of his return as Superman have shed light on the complexities of bringing the iconic character to the big screen. While his enthusiasm for the character and the project is evident, Cage's skepticism about a potential return suggests that fans may not see him reprise the role of Superman in the future. As the DC Universe continues to evolve under the direction of James Gunn, the fate of legacy projects such as Superman Lives remains uncertain, leaving audiences to ponder the what-ifs of a cinematic world where Nicolas Cage's Superman could have been a reality.