Nicolas Cage Slams Marvel Movies as a ‘Well-Funded and Glorified WWE’ 2 Months After Ryan Gosling Is Named New Ghost Rider
Nicolas Cage Slams Marvel Movies as a ‘Well-Funded and Glorified WWE’ 2 Months After Ryan Gosling Is Named New Ghost Rider
Rebecca AizinThu, October 1, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC
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Nicolas Cage attends the ‘Spider-Noir’ premiere in New York City on May 13, 2026Credit: Jason Mendez/Getty -
Nicolas Cage said during a recent appearance that Marvel films often prioritize fight scenes over dramatic performances
He played Johnny Blaze in two Ghost Rider movies released in 2007 and 2012, though they were not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Ryan Gosling will take over the role in a new film directed by Shawn Levy
Nicolas Cage is getting honest about his feelings on the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
During a recent appearance at the Fan Expo Dallas in September, Cage, 62, spoke on a panel where he shared his thoughts on the superhero movie franchise.
“I do say this with love,” Cage said, per The Playlist. “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.”
Cage’s comments come after his own superhero show, Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, was canceled after just one season, despite positive fan reception. While the project was not within the MCU, Cage has previously played another Marvel superhero, Ghost Rider, in two movies: 2007’s Ghost Rider and 2012’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
Nicolas Cage in 2007’s ‘Ghost Rider’Credit: Jasin Boland
Now, the comic book character is officially joining the MCU, with Ryan Gosling announced to take on the mantle during San Diego Comic-Con in July. “As you know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time,” Gosling, 45, said onstage at the time.
Cage originated the motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze (aka Ghost Rider) in 2007, alongside Gosling’s longtime partner, Eva Mendes, as Roxanne Simpson. The new Ghost Rider movie will be directed by Shawn Levy, who worked with Gosling on the upcoming Star Wars movie Starfighter. He also directed the 2024 MCU movie Deadpool & Wolverine.
Cage previously told PEOPLE that while starring in Spider-Noir, in which he plays Ben Reilly, a private investigator in 1930s N.Y.C. with spidey senses, he wanted to blend “some of my favorite old-style actors, [James] Cagney, [Humphrey] Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and collide them with Stan Lee‘s masterpiece, Spider-Man, and create something new.”
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Nicolas Cage in ‘Spider-Noir’Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video
He also referenced wanting to “create this almost like pop-art Lichtenstein painting and performance style.”
Cage added that he was less focused on the superhero aspect of the show and more on the noir style and trying to get the feel of it right. “I don’t have any crazy stories,” Cage told PEOPLE of his training. “I did a lot of wirework, which is understandable since this character is flying around quite a bit on webs. I always get a kick out of that.”
“Everybody was on point so I was safe,” he added. “But for me, that’s just the fun part of doing this. Primarily, I was focused on trying to craft this performance style that would fit in the black-and-white format.”
The actor previously voiced the character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; however, the show is not connected to the animated film franchise.
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Cage will next star in Madden, a biopic about NFL coach John Madden. Meanwhile, next up for Marvel Studios is the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, in theaters Dec. 18.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
