Credit: Warner Bros./ DC StudiosThe canceled 1990s Nicolas Cage Superman project has haunted comic book movie fans for decades now, tantalizing them with glimpses of a long-haired Cage battling evil robots in movie scripted by Clerks director Kevin Smith and directed by Tim Burton. Cage, himself a well-known Superman megafan, has repeatedly voiced regret that Superman Lives never got made, but it seems like he is not completely done with the Last Son of Krypton yet.
For a long time, it seemed as though Superman Lives was another discarded idea like Joel Schumacher’s Batman Unchained (which would have featured George Clooney returning as the Dark Knight) and Mad Max director George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal.
Related: Nicolas Cage’s Next Collaboration Is His Most Bizarre
However, we have finally got some momentum behind a version of Nicolas Cage Superman and it turns out it is not stopping.
Nicolas Cage Will Appear as Superman for a Comic Book Cover
Special cover for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #19 in September pic.twitter.com/RhcNv2i2cy
— Dan Mora (@Danmora_c) June 20, 2023
DC Comics and artist Dan Mora have announced that the upcoming Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #19 will have a special cover that features a Superman based on Nicolas Cage, who even gets his own unique variant of the iconic Kryptonian superhero outfit.
As one can see above, Nicolas Cage Superman appears to be standing in the Batcave, flanked by Classic-flavor Superman to stage left and Batman to stage right. In the background, we can see Alfred and Robin both hanging back and casually observing; to be fair, seeing alternate versions of superheroes in the world of DC is probably business as usual for them.
Interestingly, this version of the Man of Steel appears to be a little more hard-edged than the usual Superman (at least, aside from his beaming smile. The body of his suit is slate-gray rather than the traditional bright blue, and the insignia is in the red and black most commonly associated with the grim future Superman of Kingdom Come. Also, it reads “N” (presumably for Nicolas) rather than the Kryptonian symbol for hope, which is fun.
Related: Nicolas Cage Believes He Remembers Being in the Womb
Additionally, this superhero seems to be wearing a Batman-like utility belt and serrated arm bracers, all of which hint that the Superman Lives reality he presumably comes from may be a bit darker and grimmer than the typical DC Universe. That said, we now caution you that there are some SPOILERS AHEAD.
Nicolas Cage Appears as Superman in ‘The Flash’
After years of waiting (and many rumors in the interminable months leading up to the film’s release), fans finally got to see Nicolas Cage as Superman in the Ezra Miller-led The Flash. Late in the film, Miller’s Barry Allen discovers a kind of multiversal hub called the “Chronobowl,” in which we get brief glimpses at a number of non-DCU superheroes, Cage among them.
Among others, audiences George Reeves and Christopher Reeve as Superman, Helen Slater as Supergirl, and, of course, Nicolas Cage battling some giant spiders (Thanks, Jon Peters!), which is probably the most we’ll ever see of Superman Lives.
That said, it is a pity we did not get to see previous DCU Superman Henry Cavill, Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), or Tom Welling (Smallville).
Additionally, the movie featured multiple versions of Bruce Wayne, with Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, and Adam West all appearing.
Will the New DC Universe Feature Nicolas Cage?
Currently, new DC Studios co-head James Gunn is reconfiguring the cinematic version of the franchise in his own image, which will begin with Superman: Legacy, which reportedly will feature a younger version of the iconic character. However, that does not mean that there is no place for another appearance for Nicolas Cage Superman in some new reality-crossing adventure.
For now, we can just hope he gets to team up with the Teen Titans again.