Marvel Studios may be scaling back its output now, but there are still plenty of movies and TV shows based on the House of Ideas releasing this year. The most interesting of the bunch isn’t even connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In May, Prime Video’s Spider-Noir series premieres. The show is a spinoff of the popular Spider-Verse movies, starring Nicolas Cage in the titular role. Rather than reprising his variant of Peter Parker from the animated films, Cage headlines Spider-Noir as a version of Ben Reilly who is at the end of his rope. Spider-Noir promises to be a refreshing take on the superhero genre thanks to its distinct visual and storytelling style.
Spider-Noir is Cage’s first time starring in a superhero TV show, but he has plenty of experience with comic book adaptations over the course of his career. Unfortunately, his previous endeavors in the genre haven’t panned out as well as he would have hoped, but there’s a great chance Spider-Noir could reverse those fortunes and give him the superhero hit he has deserved for decades.
Nicolas Cage’s Superhero Movie History Explained
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Since superhero movies became one of the most dominant forces in pop culture, many actors have received nice career boosts from appearing in such films. Cage, however, was not one of them. As a matter of fact, not every superhero project he was attached to even saw the light of day. At one point, Cage was going to play Superman for director Tim Burton in Superman Lives, but that movie was cancelled as it lingered in development hell (the poor reception to Batman & Robin also contributed to the studio’s decision). By the time Superman Returns got off the ground, Cage wasn’t even considered for the lead role, so he missed out on his chance to portray the Man of Steel … until years later, that is.
Audiences finally got a chance to see Cage as Superman in 2023, when The Flash was released. Cage’s variant of Kal-El appears as part of a multiverse sequence that controversially featured several past on-screen iterations of classic DC heroes, including ones portrayed by deceased actors. What should have been a fun fan service moment for those familiar with the story behind Superman Lives (Cage’s Superman is battling a giant spider, which is a nod to the Superman Lives script) was derailed by ethically dubious creative decisions, shoddy special effects work, and lack of a proper storytelling reason for many of these cameos to even exist. The multiverse can be a great tool to complement compelling narratives (see: Spider-Man: No Way Home), but it felt like The Flash included the cameos just for the sake of having them. Cage would later say he was “perplexed” by his brief role in the film, wondering aloud if CGI or AI was used to change his performance.
At least in live-action, Cage didn’t have much better luck with Marvel. He starred in two Ghost Rider movies, which received largely negative reviews and underwhelmed at the box office. When the widely panned Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance managed to earn only $132.5 million worldwide, a planned third film was scrapped and the Ghost Rider character hasn’t been seen on the big screen since. Rumors persist a version of Ghost Rider will appear in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, but Cage has made it clear that he doesn’t need the MCU.
Cage’s best work in superhero movies, oddly enough, have come in the animation realm. In addition to voicing Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, he also voiced Superman in the well-received Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. However, in both of those instances, he was a supporting player, so neither truly made up for his various shortcomings in live-action. Cage is undeniably great in the animated projects, and it’s a blast to hear him lean into his comedic sensibilities to play hilarious versions of famous heroes, but Spider-Noir is the real moment of redemption the actor has waited over 20 years for.
Spider-Noir Can Complete Nicolas Cage’s Superhero Redemption Arc
Image Courtesy of Prime Video
Admittedly, Cage has made some questionable decisions over the course of his career, appearing in numerous poorly received movies and becoming a bit of a meme for his over-the-top acting style. That said, he’s still a very gifted and entertaining performer who knows how to deliver quality work. He has an Oscar win to his name (for Leaving Las Vegas) and another nomination (for Adaptation), proving he’s more than capable of delivering a captivating turn when working with strong material. His best projects are the ones that know how to perfectly harness his distinct abilities, dialing them up just enough that they don’t become overbearing. During recording sessions for Into the Spider-Verse, Cage realized the filmmakers wanted him to go “full Cage,” and the rest is history.
You don’t win an Oscar and other accolades by mistake. Cage is more than talented enough to headline a superhero project, he’s just had bad luck selecting ones in the past. Starring in Ghost Rider was a defensible move at the time; superhero movies had found their footing thanks to the X-Men series and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, so Cage probably saw Ghost Rider as a chance to lock down a franchise role he could return to for the next handful of years. Sadly, it didn’t go the way Cage envisioned, but he alone isn’t to blame for how those movies turned out. Fortunately, he’s finally getting another chance to be the star of the show.
In animated form, Spider-Man Noir was the perfect fit for Cage, who channeled an unlikely mix of Humphrey Bogart and Bugs Bunny to craft the character. Based on the first trailer for Spider-Noir, Cage is the perfect fit for the role in live-action as well. Immediately, the preview sells audiences on his jaded, cynical take on Ben Reilly, who is struggling to keep his impulses in check as he deals with an existential crisis. Thematically, Spider-Noir covers material familiar to superhero fans, but it feels so fresh in its presentation. Cage appears to be well within his wheelhouse playing a character who’s at the end of his rope, always on the edge of having a breakdown.
Harkening back to film noir classics with its period setting and stunning black-and-white photography, Spider-Noir seems ideal for someone like Cage. Due to the show’s heightened sensibilities and reality, the “Cageisms” that will inevitably be on display shouldn’t feel out of place. In many ways, this was the superhero role Cage was born to play, and it’s easy to see why Spider-Noir is arguably the most exciting Marvel TV show of 2026. Hopefully, it lives up to its on-paper potential and caps off Cage’s fascinating superhero journey on a high note.
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