[Warning: This story contains spoilers for The Flash.]
Filmmaker Kevin Smith had a full circle moment when watching The Flash and seeing Nicolas Cage’s cameo as Superman.
During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the director-producer-writer said he “just about passed out” when he first learned the actor was going to be making an appearance in the Andy Muschietti-directed film as the iconic superhero.
“I finally got to see Nic Cage be Superman,” Smith said. “It has been an absolute delight for me.”
It hits close for Smith because he initially penned several draft screenplays for the infamous 1998 film Superman Lives that never happened. Smith has been previously open about difficulties they faced with the film and production, including producer Jon Peters making several demands, such as Superman having to fight a giant spider. They two also disagreed on who should play the title role.
“Jon Peters was like, ‘I want Sean Penn to play Superman.’ He had just seen Dead Man Walking, and he goes, ‘Look at his eyes in that movie. He’s got the eyes of a violent animal, a caged killer,” he recalled. “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.”
Warner Bros. ended up calling off the movie just weeks before filming was set to begin due to creative differences. But fast-forward to 2023, Smith finally got to see the vision they once had come to life, when Cage appears during a scene in The Flash when Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen opens the multiverse to see the different universes. It’s at that point that Barry sees Cage as Superman fighting a giant spider.
After seeing that scene, Smith said it was “mind-melting,” adding, “One of the first things I thought when I saw it at the premiere is, ‘Goddammit, it [the giant spider] would have worked.’ As much as I used to make fun of Jon Peters, that looked badass.”
When asked if it can officially confirm he likes the spider now, Smith responded, “You know what? He [Peters] wasn’t wrong. Like, it totally could have panned out.”
The quick cameo also reminded the filmmaker of all the possibilities in the multiverse and that he’s still down to see Cage in the legendary supersuit.
“If I’m Warner Bros., I’m going, like, ‘Fuck it. There’s a multiverse, man. Let’s give Nic Cage a Superman movie,’” Smith added. “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.”
The Flash is currently playing in theaters.
