Nicolas Cage Shared The Botched Superman Project With Tim Burton And Is Not Interested In Being Part Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Nicolas Cage is making a significant comeback after his critically-acclaimed performance in Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Still, the seasoned actor isn’t interested in becoming a superhero.
The 59-year-old Ghost Rider actor recently received the Variety Legend and Groundbreaker Award last weekend during the Miami Film Festival. This was an opportunity that allowed Nicolas to reflect on his career.
When it comes to superhero movies, Nicolas has done his share. He was the lead star in two Ghost Rider movies in 2007 and 2011 and then voiced for Spider-Man Noir in 2018. But after all his stints in hero-themed films, Nicolas admitted that he is still determining his future regarding these superhero franchises.
During his chat with Variety, Nicolas—whose real name is Nicolas Coppola, nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, one of the legendary directors in the film industry—admitted that his stage name, Nicolas Cage, came from Luke Cage, a Marvel character, created by Stan Lee.
Nicolas stated, “I’ve gotta be nice about Marvel movies because I named myself after a Stan Lee character named Luke Cage. What am I going to do, put Marvel movies down? Stan Lee is my surrealistic father. He named me.”
The actor also revealed his failed project in the 1990s, Superman Lives. As of now, though, the actor has no desire whatsoever to become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in any form or shape.
During his Variety chat, Nicolas added, “I understand what the frustration is. I get it. But I think there’s plenty of room for everybody. I’m seeing movies like Tár. I’m seeing all kinds of artistic and independently driven movies. I think there’s plenty of room for everybody.”
Nicolas bluntly revealed that he doesn’t need to be in the MCU because he is, after all, Nic Cage.
These questions came up when it was revealed that Nicolas came very close to playing the iconic Superman. The project was dubbed “Superman Lives.” Although it was never turned into reality, pictures of Nicolas Cage sporting long hair and wearing the Superman suit have been circulating on various social media platforms for decades.
Nicolas stated that the studio committing to the project had its eye on Renny Harlin, director of Cliffhanger and Die Hard 2, to work on the Superman film. But Nicolas personally wants Tim Burton on the project.
The actor revealed that the film has to be a Tim Burton movie, and he even called the director to ask him if he wanted to do the project, and Tim said yes. Nicolas loved what Tim did with Michael Keaton in Batman, and being a huge fan, he wanted Tim to direct the movie as well.
But Warner Brothers was hesitant to onboard Tim because his Mars Attack film in 1996 cost the studio millions of dollars. During the interview, Nicolas also mentioned the genres of movies that he loves to be a part of, including horror and family drama.
