Tim Burton says his Superman movie being scrapped will affect him for the rest of his life

Nicolas Cage as Superman
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Tim Burton has talked about his scrapped Superman film – and though it doesn't sound like he's particularly heartbroken over the project falling apart, he also doesn't seem to be letting it go anytime soon, either. 

Burton's film, titled Superman Lives, was set to star Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel, but was ultimately canned. 

"No, I don't have regrets," Burton reflected in conversation with the BFI. "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."

But, Superman Lives, erm, lives on in The Flash, which features a cameo from Cage as Supes himself. Burton, though, doesn't particularly seem to be a fan of the moment. "But also it goes into another AI thing, and this is why I think I'm over it with the studio," he commented. "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."

Cage recently spoke out about the cancelled film, too. “What I want to go on record with is: Tim Burton did not cast me. I cast Tim Burton," he 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."

The Flash is out on digital now. If you're caught up, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.