Once upon a time, Nicolas Cage almost played Superman. In a movie directed by Tim Burton. From a script by Kevin Smith. Which was based on the iconic "Death of Superman" comic book storyline. And then it all fell apart, transforming it into one of Hollywood's greatest "What if?" narratives. 'Superman Lives' may have died before making it in front of cameras, but at least the new documentary 'The Death of Superman Lives' will give us an insider's look at what went wrong.

Although the trailer itself is total amateur hour (they really, really need to hire a proper editor and sound mixer), the footage itself looks like it'll be crack for superhero movie fans. The video not only teases interviews with Burton and Smith, but sit-downs with artists, costumes designers and countless other people who worked on the project. Even more exciting is the amount of crazy concept art on display. Even more exciting than that is the test footage of Cage in the Superman costume, which looks, uh ... well, it looks different.

There are plenty of great 'Superman Lives' stories floating around the internet (particularly from the ever-talkative Smith), but that test footage alone is going make this a must-see. Sometimes, the only thing more interesting than a finished movie is an unfinished movie that could have forever altered the course of an entire genre. What would the superhero movie look like today if 'Superman Lives' got off the ground? That's a great question! Good thing a new documentary exists to help answer it.

'The Death of Superman Lives' is currently seeking additional funding to finish post-production.

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