In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Cage spent plenty of time reflecting on his most iconic roles, but was eager to discuss future projects. The actor expressed hope that his comedic turn in “Massive Talent” could lead to him making more comedies like “Raising Arizona,” but also revealed another genre he’s itching to try. “Right now, I’m excited that the comedy is back on the menu. It hasn’t been there for, gosh, 15 years. That’s nice that I may have the opportunity to do more comedy,” Cage said. “But I’ve never done a musical. That would be something that I would be curious about.”
While the idea of Cage doing a turn as a song-and-dance man is certainly an intriguing one, the star also waxed poetic about his superhero ambitions. One of the most legendary unmade projects in Hollywood history was Tim Burton’s abandoned “Superman” movie, which was set to star Cage as the Kryptonian hero. While that film was ultimately scrapped by the studio, Cage did not close the door when asked if he was still interested in playing Superman. But not before he shared some behind-the-scenes trivia.
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“What I want to go on record with is: Tim Burton did not cast me. I cast Tim Burton,” Cage said. “They wanted Renny Harlin, and he’s a nice guy and perfectly capable. But for me, the vision I had for Kal-El was more of a Tim Burton-style presentation universe.”
He went on to say that he has made peace with the fact that the film was never made, and enjoys the place that the abandoned movie holds in Hollywood lore.
“That’s always been both a positive and a negative to me. It’s a positive in that it left the character, and what Tim and I might have gotten up to, in the realm of imagination — which is always more powerful than that is concrete. And a negative in that I think it would have been special. Is there a chance? Who knows.”
While it seems unlikely that Cage will suit up as Superman, it’s worth noting that the timing would be good, as Warner Bros. is planning a massive overhaul of its DC Universe. With Michael Keaton reprising his role from Tim Burton’s “Batman” movies, anything is possible.
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” hits theaters on April 22.
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