Nicolas Cage is not impressed with where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is headed.
Speaking at Fan Expo Dallas, the Spider-Noir star said the MCU is turning into a “well-funded and glorified WWE.”
The comments come weeks after Amazon canceled Spider-Noir after one season, and they are picking up steam online.
‘It’s All Cutting To The Fight’
Cage made clear he wasn’t trying to trash anyone.
“I do say this with love,” Cage said. “When I see these 50-plus and otherwise intelligent and remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight (let’s face it, it’s all cutting to the fight), it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE.”
The reaction is split. Plenty of fans agree with him, while others point to Cage’s own history with superhero projects.
That history is long. Cage played Ghost Rider in two movies, 2007’s Ghost Rider and 2012’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Ghost Rider is now officially joining the MCU with Ryan Gosling in the role. Shawn Levy directs, and the movie opens July 28, 2028.
So the MCU Cage is comparing to pro wrestling is rebooting his old character with a new star.
Cage’s Own Marvel Show Just Got Canceled
Cage’s latest Marvel run didn’t end by choice.
Amazon canceled Spider-Noir on September 4 despite 11 Emmy nominations, and Cage responded at the time by saying the one season they made was “perfect.”
Prime Video is already moving on, as Amazon is replacing the show with a Spider-Man Clone Saga series centered on Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker.
Cage always said Spider-Noir wasn’t a superhero play for him.
He told Variety before the premiere that he signed on because the show was designed as a black-and-white film noir, and he wanted to channel “some of my favorite old world actors” like Bogart, Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson.
“It was scary, and it was risky,” he continued. “I was constantly worried that I was going to get fired, because I was doing this thing of channeling old actors and colliding it with Stan Lee’s masterpiece that is ‘Spider-Man’ to create this Roy Lichtenstein pop-art sensation of sorts. I didn’t know until I finally saw the eight episodes whether it was going to work.”
It worked. Spider-Noir won five Emmys after it was already canceled.
Nicolas Cage next stars in Prime Video’s Madden along with Christian Bale.
