That surprise A-list cameo in The Flash explained

The Flash heads into the multiverse in the new DC movie as Barry teams up with another version of himself to save the world. After he heads back in time to try and save his family, the superhero accidentally ends up altering the future. This alternate reality features a very different Batman than expected as Michael Keaton returns to the major role. Not only this, but General Zod is back, and he’s on the hunt for a certain Kryptonian…

Across its bumper runtime, there are also plenty of other cameos from the already confirmed (like Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne) to some that have remained (mostly) a secret up until this point. One of the latter is a certain major A-list star, which will definitely have tongues wagging on the walk home from the cinema. So if you’ve already seen the movie and are wondering exactly what this means, then you’re in the right place. We’ve taken a deep dive into why they appeared as well as the context you may not realize about their return.

Of course, we’re getting into major spoilers for The Flash below so make sure you’ve seen the movie before venturing any further.

Who does Nicolas Cage play in The Flash?

In the extended Flashpoint sequence towards the end of the movie, we see various versions of Superman, Batman, and other characters. Among them is none other than Nicolas Cage as Superman, as we watch the heavily CGI’d star fighting a monster in an iconic suit.

While admittedly very cool to see the A-lister suited and booted, there’s actually a very interesting reason for his cameo. It’s a reference to Superman Lives, the canceled movie from the 1990s that was due to be directed by Tim Burton and produced by Jon Peters.

The proposed story, scripted by Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick, and Dan Gilroy, featured Cage as the Man of Steel against villains Brainiac, Lex Luthor, and Doomsday. There were lots of other stars attached to the film too, including Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen, Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane, and Christopher Walken as Brainiac.

The film got very close to being made too, with images of Cage in the suit leaking between 2009 and 2015. However, budget issues were the main reason that it never made it to production.

Interestingly, the big spider that Cage’s Superman is fighting in The Flash is also a reference to the axed film. Producer Peters wanted this sequence to appear in the third act of the movie as part of his rules for the film that he gave Smith (who pitched the idea and wrote the screenplay). Peters did get his wish for a giant spider in the movie Wild Wild West, which he later produced.

A fan crowd-funded documentary on the movie’s cancelation was released in 2015, and is called The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? This contained lots of interesting tidbits about the ill-fated feature, including how it was canceled only three weeks before filming began.

The director of The Flash has also shared some insight into the cameo with Esquire Middle East. "Nic was absolutely wonderful," said Andy Muschietti. "Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it… I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon. He is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic." Indeed, not only did the actor almost play Superman, but he also named his son Kal-El.

Cage has opened up several times about almost playing the world’s most famous superhero, including in an interview with Variety earlier this year. "It was more of a 1980s Superman with like, the samurai black long hair," he described. "I thought it was gonna be a really different, sort of emo Superman, but we never got there." Well, now at least, this version will be commemorated in movie history.

For much more on the new DC film, check out our spoilery deep dives on: