Nicolas Cage’s comic book movie legacy is particularly wide-ranging and impressive, even if he’s never played a live-action hero beyond two movies.
While Nicolas Cage’s superhero filmography isn’t as decorated as others, he’s been working away on comic book projects spanning decades. He’s the only actor to have played both Superman and (well, a variant of) Spider-Man in live-action. And let’s not forget about Ghost Rider, either, which is the only comic book role he’s played in live-action for more than two movies. Beyond that, he’s worked heavily in voicing characters in animation, portraying Superman in Teen Titans GO! To the Movies (2018) and Teen Titans GO!, and playing Spider-Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) — a role he returns to in Prime Video’s live-action Spider-Noir series.
Other comic book roles he’s played include Big Daddy in Kick-Ass (2010), Dr. Tenma in Astro Boy (2009), and a more obscure role in Jiu Jitsu (2020).
Cage’s career has been shrouded in a number of ‘nearly’ roles too, notably being cited for Scarecrow Batman Unchained (a movie that never happened), turning down playing Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, and missing out on playing Clark Kent in Superman Lives. Overall, as bizarre as it sounds, he’s just as famous for the roles he never got to play.
Nicolas Cage’s role in Spider-Noir makes history.
His role in Spider-Noir writes him into comic book folklore, becoming the only actor to play two of the biggest comic book characters in live-action. He made the briefest of cameos as Superman in The Flash — a sweet footnote to a character he never got to fully embrace in live-action. And he plays a variant of Spider-Man in Prime Video’s Spider-Noir. Both of these roles aren’t quite the upper echelon of comic roles — a cameo appearance and a Spider-variant — but he takes the award nonetheless. Now all he needs to do is find a way to play Batman, and he’ll have collected the Holy Trinity of live-action comic book roles.
The upcoming live-action Spider-Noir series consists of eight episodes, taking place in the 1930s-era New York, following Ben Reilly, an older, down-on-his-luck private investigator who’s the city’s only protector. The series is developed by Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, alongside the award-winning team behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal. The first two episodes are directed by Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve).
Cage’s abundance of comic book roles still pales in comparison to some other acts. Look no further than Chris Evans, who boasts playing Captain America, Human Torch, and a few other comic-centric roles. Plus there’s Ryan Reynolds, who’s famed for playing Deadpool, but has also tacked Green Lantern and Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, among others.
What do you think of Nicolas Cage’s career? Tell us in the comments down below!
Disclaimer: Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
