Imagine this: Sean Penn as Superman? It sounds bizarre, right? But in the mid-90s, that was almost a reality, thanks to a Hollywood producer with some very specific ideas about the Man of Steel. Let's dive into the wild, almost-made movie, Superman Lives, and the surprising casting choices that almost happened.
In Andy Muschietti's 2023 film, The Flash, the titular hero travels through time and glimpses alternate realities. Among these are versions of Batman and Superman, including the ones played by Adam West and George Reeves, as well as Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater. And then there's a truly head-scratching cameo: Nicolas Cage as Superman, battling a giant spider.
This isn't just a random Easter egg. It's a nod to a project that never saw the light of day: Superman Lives. The film, intended as a gritty reboot, was to be directed by Tim Burton and produced by Jon Peters, a Hollywood heavyweight with some… unique visions. Peters envisioned Superman facing off against a giant spider, among other things. A script was written, Cage was cast, and even costumes were designed.
Much of the inside scoop on Superman Lives comes from Jon Schnepp's 2015 documentary, The Death of 'Superman Lives', and anecdotes from filmmaker Kevin Smith, who was once hired to write a draft of the script. Smith's stories about Peters have become legendary, especially Peters' fascination with giant spiders.
But here's where it gets controversial: Smith revealed that Peters initially wanted Sean Penn to play Superman.
According to Smith, Peters was captivated by Penn's performance in Tim Robbins' 1995 film, Dead Man Walking. Peters allegedly said, "Look at his eyes in that movie. He's got the eyes of a violent animal, a caged killer." Smith, however, had another actor in mind: Nicolas Cage, a Superman fan himself. Eventually, Cage was cast, but the Penn idea is still a head-scratcher.
And this is the part most people miss: Peters had some unusual ideas about the character. He didn't like Superman flying, wanted him out of his costume for much of the film, and envisioned a queer sidekick for the hero.
The story doesn't end there. While Superman Lives was never made, Peters later produced the 1999 sci-fi Western, Wild Wild West, which, as you might guess, features a giant mechanical tarantula.
Interestingly, when Smith saw the Cage-as-Superman sequence in The Flash, he was impressed. He admitted, "God damn it, [the giant spider] would have worked."
What do you think? Would Sean Penn have made a good Superman? Do you think the giant spider battle could have actually worked? Share your thoughts in the comments!
