Superman Returns Nic Cage Talks Superman; Praises Routh

[Retroman]

From Wizard magazine:

THE WIZARD Q&A: NICOLAS CAGE
The 'Ghost Rider' star heats up on comic book thefts, ignites a 'goth' superhero and blazes about the way he would have played the man of steel...

By Mike Cotton

Posted December 29, 2006 7:45 AM

After years of creating memorable character-driven roles, and earning an Oscar (“Leaving Las Vegas”) for his mantle in the process, Nicolas Cage is still a little stunned that two of his biggest loves—acting and comic books—are finally coming together.

A lifelong comic book fan who actually learned to read with comics, Cage wanted to play Superman under director Tim Burton years ago, but the project fell apart.

Now, the 42-year-old actor finally gets his shot to bring a superhero to life on the big screen in Sony Pictures’ “Ghost Rider”—directed by “Daredevil” helmer Mark Steven Johnson, it’s the story of motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze, a man cursed by a demonic figure to be the Spirit of Vengeance—when it hits theaters on Feb. 17.

“It’s amazing how today, [comic book culture] has become a major force in film,” says Cage. “It didn’t used to be that way because in the beginning, comic books didn’t translate well to films. The Captain America costume and the Spider-Man costume all looked so silly, but with the advent of the CGI and the technology that we have, we can take the most far-out and amazing special effects and apply them to the stories that moved us as kids, that really stimulated our imagination.

“It’s a great time to be making movies, and I always knew that comics would do that,” continues Cage. “I always believed that the comic book genre would become a major source of inspiration in the film market because it’s almost a perfect form of entertainment. It’s imaginative. It’s inspiring. It’s thought provoking. It’s really fun.”

Wizard sat down to grill Cage on what eventually toasted his chances of playing the Man of Steel, the heat around the “Ghost Rider” release and how a single burglary fried his vintage comic book collection.

WIZARD: Playing a superhero seems like it’s been a long time coming. After growing up a comic fan, you were once attached to star as Superman under director Tim Burton, but what’s it like now that you’re finally playing a character very different from the Man of Steel?

CAGE: Well, I thought that Brandon [Routh] was excellent in the “Superman Returns” movie, and I knew what they were doing. When I was going to play Superman, and I have to be fair about this, I was going to try to
re-conceive the character and do something with the role that would’ve been pretty far out.

How far out?

I was going to have like giant black samurai hair and be really wild and bring out the alien aspect of the character and feeling his alienation of not being able to fit into society. I thought that was helpful to people who feel out of place. In their heart, they can all be Superman by definition. We all have the Superman spirit within us, and often these people who do really appear to have super-abilities in terms of their careers or their focus or their abilities to concentrate. People like Ozzy Osbourne, who on stage is just larger than life and fantastic, and in person he’s very shy and humble and quiet. We all have that sort of Clark Kent/Superman dynamic to us, and I really wanted to play up that feeling that when he was Clark, he really couldn’t fit in.

But you liked the Bryan Singer version?

It occurred to me that they were being very respectful to the nostalgia of the character and to the lore of what the character stood for back in the ’30s and ’40s. It was apparent that I would not have been the right choice because I was going to turn it on its ear. I was going to turn the whole thing upside down, and I think that it’s better to do that with a character like Ghost Rider where you can introduce the character to a wide audience and give it gravitas and comedy and humor and all of the things that I like to bring to my roles, whereas Superman is more of a sacred icon to Americans. Ghost Rider is more like the first Goth superhero, which I’m really excited about, and I just believe that it’s more appropriate for me. I like skulls and flames, and I do ride motorcycles, so it’s a good match.

Source (Interview continues about GR):http://www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/ghostridermovie/002872716.cfm

 

[matthooper]

By not answering the question of whether he liked the movie speaks volumes. He obviously didn't. Not that anyone cares.

I read somewhere else where he was a bit more obvious in his dis-like for Superman Returns.

 

[Mister J]

When I was going to play Superman, and I have to be fair about this, I was going to try to
re-conceive the character and do something with the role that would’ve been pretty far out.

I was going to have like giant black samurai hair and be really wild and bring out the alien aspect of the character and feeling his alienation of not being able to fit into society

 

[El Payaso]

By not answering the question of whether he liked the movie speaks volumes. He obviously didn't. Not that anyone cares.

I read somewhere else where he was a bit more obvious in his dis-like for Superman Returns.

Or maybe he's Kevin Smith-like angry because he wasn't the one who was Superman.

 

[Brainiac 2009]

I think Cage would have preferred the Burton version, it suits his own tastes more.

Good to know he liked Brandon Routh, but then no surprise there, practically everyone does.

 

[Freddy_Krueger]

By not answering the question of whether he liked the movie speaks volumes. He obviously didn't. Not that anyone cares.

I read somewhere else where he was a bit more obvious in his dis-like for Superman Returns.

Meh, oh well. Considering how he and Burton wanted to bastardize the character, I don't think Singer or anyone else in the Superman Returns camp is gonna have any hurt feelings.

 

[I Am The Knight]

I'm still glad that project with Cage fell apart. I wonder just how far out his Superman's alienation would have been played, as that's something that SR touched on. It's the whole reason Superman left, after all.

 

[bunk]

Meh, oh well. Considering how he and Burton wanted to bastardize the character, I don't think Singer or anyone else in the Superman Returns camp is gonna have any hurt feelings.

Yeah , sorry but Cage's opinion of SR really means nothing especially knowing the kinda garbage he and Burton where planning to produce. I would be upset if did like SR.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

By not answering the question of whether he liked the movie speaks volumes. He obviously didn't. Not that anyone cares.

I read somewhere else where he was a bit more obvious in his dis-like for Superman Returns.

Could you post the link where you read that? Because, this is what I found:


Self-confessed SUPERMAN fanatic NICOLAS CAGE is so obsessed with the new Man of Steel movie, he has dreams he's a flying superhero. Cage, who gave the comic book hero's Krypton birth name to his own son KAL-EL, saw SUPERMAN RETURNS at the cinema as soon as it was released and star BRANDON ROUTH's performance has fuelled his obsession with the franchise even more. He says, "I really like the movie. Each night I have dreams that I'm flying. I'm a real good floater in my sleep. But I wake up thinking the dream really did happen. "My wife looks at me and sees I'm lifting up, wondering if I'm really going to leave the ground. It's quite a wake-up call."
25/07/2006 07:47

link: http://contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/cages%20superman%20dream_1003475

 

[ultimatefan]

I know what Cage means, you know, even the stuff that Singer did, which is far less far out than what he had in mind, made some of the more hardcore fanboys angry.

 

[The Shredder]

I was going to have like giant black samurai hair

Hmm....

Yeah. Cage would have definately preferred Burton's take on the character. As it's very apparent those two were going for something wildly different than what we were used to seeing Superman presented in any medium.

 

[DrMylesOBoogie]

Burton's Superman would have been an abomination no doubt but still a hell of alot more entertainging and less boring then Returns.

 

[Papa Burgundy]

giant black samurai hair. wtf

 

[Lightning54SC]

glad we got singers version then burton... but it was still kinda lame

 

[Showtime]

Burton's Superman would have been an abomination no doubt but still a hell of alot more entertainging and less boring then Returns.

If you really mean that than you have been smoking way to much Kryptonite.

 

[FanboyX_Returns]

I think Cage would have preferred the Burton version, it suits his own tastes more.

Good to know he liked Brandon Routh, but then no surprise there, practically everyone does.

hmmmmm wait lets not go there...

 

[El Payaso]

Burton's Superman would have been an abomination no doubt but still a hell of alot more entertainging and less boring then Returns.

The hater way is always fulfilled with contradictions.

 

[Dan33977]

The hater way is always fulfilled with contradictions.

Indeed.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I'm glad Burton wasn't allowed to make that movie, it would have been awful and completely not Superman-ish. That doesn't mean I liked what we did get.