It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … Nicolas Cage?

That’s right – the popular internet meme and Hollywood actor nearly played the man of steel way back in the 1990s.

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Cage was set to play the lead role in a movie titled Superman Lives, but it never made it to production.

The film was to be directed by Tim Burton, who helmed the 1989 version of Batman.

The now 51-year-old Cage can be seen in full costume as the superhero in a new crowd funded documentary about the failed flick titled The Death of “Superman Lives”; What Happened?.

The movie also features interviews with Burton and screenwriter Dan Gilroy.

The Death of “Superman Lives” will be available for streaming on its official website from July 9.

In the meantime, you can watch the trailer and see full Cage in costume below.