Nicolas Cage calls AI a nightmare, dismisses his Superman cameo in ‘The Flash’
Acclaimed actor Nicolas Cage has slammed the use of AI in filmmaking, calling it a “nightmare” while referring to his cameo as Superman in ‘The Flash’. Though initially glad he got to play Superman at least for once, Cage has since then dismissed his cameo appearance.
Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, the ‘Face Off’ actor said: “AI is a nightmare to me. It’s inhumane. You can’t get more inhumane than artificial intelligence … I would be very unhappy if people were taking my art … and appropriating it,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Cage had finally got to play Superman after his 1998 project with director Tim Burton titled ‘Superman Lives’. The cameo showcased Cage as the Man of Steel firing lasers at various enemies, while being de-aged with CGI.
However, given the bad visuals of ‘The Flash’, Nicolas Cage was not that happy with his appearance. While he had praised the opportunity of getting to essay the role, he also said that the cameo was something very different from what he had shot.
“When I went to the picture, it was me fighting a giant spider,” Cage said. “I did not do that. That was not what I did. I don’t think it was created by AI. I know Tim (Burton) is upset about AI, as I am. It was CGI, OK, so that they could de-age me, and I’m fighting a spider. I didn’t do any of that, so I don’t know what happened there.”
That the 59-year-old actor was actually on set is a bit unexpected as many watching the film just assumed the entire performance was created by CG. Cage said what was actually filmed, and what he was told the scene would be, was something more solemn.
He added: “What I was supposed to do was literally just be standing in an alternate dimension, if you will, and witnessing the destruction of the universe. Kal-El was bearing witness to the end of a universe, and you can imagine with that short amount of time that I had, what that would mean in terms of what I can convey.
“I had no dialogue so I had to convey with my eyes the emotion. So that’s what I did. I was on set for maybe three hours,” he added.
The ‘Ghost Rider’ actor is currently promoting his upcoming film ‘Dream Scenario’, which is based on a family man who finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams.