Nicolas Cage is Happy SPIDER-NOIR Ended After One Season: “You Never Wanna Get Stuck Repeating a Character”
Most actors would be disappointed to see their hit TV series canceled after one season, but Nicolas Cage actually celebrated when Prime Video pulled the plug on Spider-Noir. The actor loved playing Ben Reilly, but he had no interest in dragging the character's story out for multiple seasons.
Despite the show's impressive streaming numbers and Emmy success, Cage believes the first season told exactly the story it needed to tell, and he's happy to leave it there.
During a recent interview with IGN, Cage was asked whether he thought there was more of Ben Reilly's story worth exploring. His answer was a straightforward "no."
He explained: “It’s a perfect season. You never wanna get stuck repeating a character and wear out your welcome. Ben Riley is so idiosyncratic. I was doing something that was pretty high-risk, tightrope stuff — if you do that for Season 2, Season 3, you could really wear out your welcome.”
Cage clearly enjoyed taking on the unusual Marvel character, but he also knows when it's time to move on. For him, returning to the same role year after year could eventually take away what made the performance special in the first place.
He continued: “So when they didn’t pick it up, I was like, ‘Whew, thank you!’ Because now I’m doing ‘True Detective,’ and that’s only one season. It’s better that way, you know?”
“I didn’t wanna keep repeating it. I don’t like repeating myself. It’s perfect, and I love that character. I love that season, and it will always be there and always be fresh.”
The cancellation certainly wasn't due to a lack of attention. According to Nielsen's streaming ratings, Spider-Noir pulled in 2.6 billion viewing minutes during its first six weeks. The series also earned 11 Emmy nominations and took home five wins.
However, Cage's relationship with Amazon may have been another factor in how things played out. Last month, following the cancellation announcement, Cage criticized the company during a New York Comic Con panel, claiming Amazon had asked him to sign an AI waiver that would allow the studio to use artificial intelligence on Spider-Noir.
He said: “Amazon is a very AI-friendly company, to the tune of $50 billion invested in OpenAI. I am not an AI-friendly actor, so it’s like, connect those dots! I’m not a member of their club. I didn’t sign the waiver to let them use AI on ‘Spider Noir.’ I’m probably not going to be working with that studio again, but that’s okay.”
Cage has made his position on AI pretty clear, and his comments suggest he isn't particularly concerned about whether he'll work with Amazon again.
While Spider-Noir has reached the end of the road, Cage already has some interesting projects lined up.
He'll star alongside Antonio Banderas in the fifth season of HBO's True Detective, which gives him another opportunity to explore a character without committing to several seasons.
He's also taking on legendary football coach and broadcaster John Madden in Madden, a biopic following the football icon's career. According to the official synopsis, the film chronicles Madden's journey “from a Super Bowl-winning partnership with Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating Madden NFL, and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history.”
Madden will hit select theaters on November 11 before streaming globally on Prime Video on November 18.
As for Spider-Noir, it sucks we won't get another season, especially after such a strong reception. But I appreciate Cage wanting to preserve the character rather than keep revisiting him until the magic wears off.
He got to bring his own wonderfully strange energy to a Marvel character, tell a complete story, and walk away happy with the result.