Not only did director Andy Muschietti bring Michael Keaton back to the role of Batman in this year’s The Flash, but he also realised another Tim Burton superhero casting as Nicolas Cage finally donned the iconic red and blue costume of the Man of Steel to make a quick cameo as Superman as part of the film’s ‘Chronobowl’ sequence.
For anyone out there scratching their heads as to why Nicolas Cage popped up in the middle of a sequence featuring CGI renditions of Superman veterans like George Reeves and Christopher Reeve (to name but two of the many DC cameos), Cage had previously been attached to Superman Lives, an aborted and now infamous Superman reboot which Burton spent several years developing for Warner Bros. back in the 1990s.
While Superman Lives ultimately never made it to the screen, we do now have a heavily CGI-enhanced glimpse of what might have been – i.e. a long-haired Nic Cage Superman battling a giant robot spider – and Cage took a few moments to comment on his quick cameo during an interview with USA Today.
“Well, I was glad I didn’t blink,” said Cage. “For me, it was the feeling of being actualized. Even that look for that particular character, finally seeing it on screen, was satisfying. But as I said, it’s quick.”
SEE ALSO: Kevin Smith on finally seeing Nicolas Cage’s Superman live in The Flash
The Flash is actually the second time that Cage has got to play the Man of Steel, having voiced the character in 2018’s animated film Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. With the multiverse now “a thing” and DC Studios’ new roadmap including ‘Elseworlds’ stories outside of the main DC Universe continuity… will it be the last? Would you like to see more of Cage’s Kal-El? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti (It) and stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash alongside Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Ben Affleck (Batman), Michael Keaton (Batman), Sasha Calle (Supergirl), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Antje Traue (Faora-Ul), Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), and Maribel Verdu (Nora Allen).
Originally published July 29, 2023. Updated July 30, 2023.
