In light of the holiday season, DC Daily has treated its viewers to a special blast from the past. Specifically, the show’s crew managed to unearth the costume that would have been worn by Nicolas Cage in the aborted Superman Lives film.
The tale of Superman Lives is legendary among comic book fans. Warner Bros. began developing the film in the mid-’90s with Kevin Smith writing the original screenplay. Under orders from producer Jon Peters, Smith’s draft featured a Superman who didn’t fly or wear his trademark red and blue threads. Peters also compelled Smith to pit the Man of Steel against a giant spider in the film’s final act. Tim Burton later signed on as director and cast Cage in the title role. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortuitously, depending on your perspective), the movie was scrapped during the pre-production phase. Subsequent years have seen plenty of leaked behind-the-scenes photos and videos detailing what the film may have looked like. In 2015, the late Jon Schnepp released a documentary, The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, chronicling the events leading to the project’s cancellation.
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According to DC Daily host Tiffany Smith, the unveiling marks “the first time it’s ever left the Warner archives.” The exaggerated rubber musculature is certainly a product of the ‘90s, which famously gave us similar costumes in Joel Schumacher’s Batman films. Thankfully, Cage’s suit doesn’t appear to have any nipples. As it appears in the video, the costume is without Superman’s iconic red cape and matching briefs. However, previously released test photos of Cage in the suit prove that the studio had no intention of abandoning the hero’s classic look. With this, it’s likely that the missing garments are still safely under lock and key on a Warner Bros. backlot.
You can check out the costume reveal via YouTube below, then share your thoughts in the comment section!
