While Tim Burton’s unfinished film Superman Lives remains in the heart of superfans and Nicolas Cage stans alike, Burton still hasn’t forgotten about what could’ve been. Cage was originally cast to play Superman in 1998, but the production was canceled just two weeks before filming. However, he did have a chance to put on the super suit in The Flash 25 years later, despite Burton not being involved in the film. When asked by the British Film Institute about the cameo, Burton explained that he didn’t have any “regrets†about the project, but he still remembers the impact of the lost film. “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,†he shared. However, he does feel like he is in a “quiet revolt†over Warner Bros.’ ability to reference his former projects that never made it past preproduction, especially with artificial intelligence. He stated, “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 Bros., they can do whatever they want.â€