All 12 Superman actors ranked from worst to best

11. Nicolas Cage

Appeared in: The Flash (2023 movie cameo appearance)

It’s hard to believe that a star the level of Nicolas Cage was once attached to a Superman movie that never came to pass. How does that casting come to fruition only for the movie to never come to fruition? Well, the Kevin Smith-penned Superman Lives that was set to be directed by Tim Burton for a 1998 release ultimately didn’t happen because of studio interference.

Nevertheless, it’s become a huge focal point of Superman conversations as images of Cage in the Superman suit have made their way around the internet, treating fans to a what could have been. But that “what could have been” eventually became something of a reality as Cage appeared as the Man of Steel via a CGI de-aged cameo in The Flash in 2023.

Cage did do the motion capture and apparently suited up for the role as well, and questionable CGI aside, he certainly looked the part as the Man of Steel. And seeing him get to play the role for all of a few seconds was worth it – we just wish we got to see what he was really like as the character in Superman Lives.

We can’t rank the cameo any higher, but since he’s got such an incredible presence as an actor, we have a feeling he could have been much higher on this list if Superman Lives hit theaters in the ’90s.