The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?

In The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, writer/director/animator and Collider Hero Jon Schnepp takes audiences back to the 1990s, when superhero films were rare, financially risky, and took years to develop. Schnepp investigates the never-completed film Superman Lives, which was set to star Nicolas Cage as Superman—a cool, yet controversial choice—and walks us through the tangled development process of the story inspired by the famous “Death of Superman” comic book arc, where Doomsday kills the Man of Steel.

The story begins with prolific movie producer Jon Peters. When Warner Bros. realized they no longer held the Superman film rights, Peters partnered with Lorenzo di Bonaventura to snag the rights for Sony. Peters’ vision focused on adapting the Death of Superman storyline. Still, he gave the initial writer, Kevin Smith, a set of bizarre creative rules: Superman couldn’t fly, he couldn’t wear his traditional costume, and he had to fight a giant spider in the final act. Smith, writing with Christopher Reeve’s Superman in mind, struggled with these restrictions but managed to deliver a draft.

Filmmaker Jon Schnepp shares a laugh with writer Kevin Smith during an interview segment in The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?

“…investigates the never-completed film Superman Lives, which was set to star Nicolas Cage…a cool, yet controversial choice…”

Tim Burton, who firmly established the Batman franchise for Warner Bros., was brought in at Smith’s suggestion, and almost immediately, the film went in a different direction. Burton dismissed Smith’s draft and replaced him with Wesley Strick, a writer Burton had worked with before. Later, at the producers’ behest, Strick was replaced by Dan Gilroy. With Nicolas Cage as the unusual choice for Superman, other casting ideas, such as Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane and Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen, began to take form.

Meanwhile, Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood was brought in to create early designs featuring Superman in an all-new healing suit, designed to aid him in recovering from his battle with Doomsday. Despite the big names and bold ideas, creative conflicts and studio concerns plagued the project. Superman Lives just couldn’t cross the finish line, and Jon Schnepp gets to the reason why.

Watching The Death of Superman Lives, I couldn’t help but think what an awesome movie this would have been. To me, it’s the idea that we’re taking the character in a completely different direction with Tim Burton at the helm and Nic Cage as Superman. As Schnepp delves deeper into story development, art and costume design, and storyboards, I wondered if this movie could be financially successful. It appears to be explicitly directed at comic book fans and fans of Tim Burton. Much of the documentary focuses on this healing suit and its connection to Kryptonian lore.