If you’ve been walking this Earth for as long as I have, then you remember the time that separated 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace from 2006’s Superman Returns. Long story short, Hollywood burned through many scripts when trying to resurrect the Man of Steel for the big screen, with none of them coming to fruition. Well, there was one that came dangerously close to doing so.
We are, of course, talking about Superman Lives. Set to have been directed by Tim Burton, it would’ve starred Nicolas Cage as Big Blue and was all but ready to begin filming before the plug was pulled by Warner Bros. Now, we could probably discuss this all day, but for the most comprehensive source out there, it’s best you consult the documentary that chronicled the ill-fated flick.
For now, though, we’ll briefly focus on a rather important aspect of the production, that being the title character’s costume. After an eternity of seeing blurry images of Cage’s Kryptonian attire and test footage showing off his alternate suit, we’re finally given an up-close look via an image posted by Ray Carsilo on Instagram (seen below).
Said costume was actually included in a recent episode of DC Daily, though I’m sure many of you appreciate being able to savor a still image rather than having to go back and pause at just the right moment in order to take in all of the details. And while I’m certain there will be opinions flying from both sides of the fence, I think it looks pretty cool and sleek – even if it appears Batman was used as a template.
While it would’ve no doubt provided a different take on the timeless icon than we’re used to seeing, we have to ask ourselves if Superman Lives really would have been a bad movie. After all, this is Tim Burton we’re talking about, and his stellar track record precedes him.