Every major filmmaker has a project or two that falls through the cracks and never gets made. But given the current superhero movie craze, one of the most popular of these unmade movies is Tim Burton‘s “Superman Lives,” with Nic Cage starring as Clark Kent/Kal-El. Almost everyone has seen the behind-the-scenes photo of Cage in full Superman garb at this point, with the cascading long loques the superhero had in the early-mid ’90s comics books. But Burton’s take on Superman never made it to the big screen; that is, until recently, when Cage cameoed as that version of Kal-El in Andy Muschietti‘s “The Flash.”
So how does Tim Burton feel about that? Variety reports that, in a new interview with BFI, the director is none too happy to see his unused version of Superman show up in Muschietti’s film. The same goes for Michael Keaton, who played Bruce Wayne/Batman for Burton in 1989’s “Batman” and its sequel “Batman Returns,” and reprises the character in “The Flash.” In short, Burton thinks these cameos are a byproduct of the advent of AI in filmmaking, which allows studios to “culturally misappropriate” the likeness of older versions of characters and actors with ease.
But let’s take a look at Burton’s comments on “Superman Lives” first. When asked if he still wishes he made the failed project, the director replied, “No, I don’t have regrets. I will say this: when you work that long on a project and it doesn’t happen, it affects you for the rest of your life. Because you get passionate about things, and each thing is an unknown journey, and it wasn’t there yet. But it’s one of those experiences that never leaves you, a little bit.” After a long period of active development, Warner Bros. scrapped its plans to “Superman Lives” after the commercial failure of Burton’s 1996 film “Mars Attacks!.” In a recent interview, even Nic Cage expressed disappointment that he and Burton never got to make bring their version of Superman to the big screen. “I thought it was gonna be a really different, sort of emo Superman, but we never got there,” said the actor.
But Cage did get there, in a way, with his cameo as an alternative Superman in “The Flash.” In the recent blockbuster, his Superman battles a giant spider as the multiverse collapses, bringing Burton’s version of the superhero to the big screen. Keaton’s cameo as Bruce Wayne/Batman gets more screentime, but also sees Burton’s version of the hero in a non-Burton movie. Even though both actors filmed their cameos in-person, Burton sees their involvement as part of the emerging trend to reimagine characters from older films in a way that discredits their original films. And it’s a trend Burton fervently disagrees with.
“But also it goes into another AI thing, and this is why I think I’m over it with the studio,” Burton explained. “They can take what you did, “Batman” or whatever, and culturally misappropriate it, or whatever you want to call it. Even though you’re a slave of Disney or Warner Brothers, they can do whatever they want. So in my latter years of life, I’m in quiet revolt against all this.” Burton’s BFI interview echoes similar criticisms he made to The Independent recently about AI art from MidJourney and elsewhere that redesigns Disney characters in the director’s signature style. “I can’t describe the feeling it gives you,” he told the publication. “It reminded me of when other cultures say, ‘Don’t take my picture because it is taking away your soul.’”
While the use of AI in screenwriting and digital FX has yet to be prevalent in Hollywood, Burton and other directors fear how it may affect their industry and the cinematic art form at large. “What it does is it sucks something from you,” Burton continued. “It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It’s like a robot taking your humanity, your soul.” It remains to be seen how much AI will affect Hollywood, but its emergent popularity over the past year makes it a hotly debated topic. And Burton’s concerns about it match those of other filmmakers, artists, and writers, who rightfully believe it may encroach on their creativity and livings as artists.
But as those debates rage and AI becomes more prevalent, Burton’s “Batman” films and the lost “Superman Lives” have so much more charm and creative mythology than “The Flash.” By comparison, Muschietti’s film lacks the heart and creative impetus of Burton’s superhero films; even arguably the unmade one with Cage. So even if Cage’s Kal-El did show up on screen this year, did it have the mystique of what could have been? Not really and that’s an important takeaway in the going Art-AI debates. Cage may have done the cameo in person, but his presence didn’t feel like the real thing. And that quality is an essential aspect of art and cinema, even if what’s debated about is a superhero movie.
“The Flash” streams on Max now, for those who want a look at Cage’s Superman. As for Burton, his next movie is “Beetlejuice 2,” set (for now) for a 2024 release.