Nicolas Cage has been trying to play the right superhero for nearly three decades. He almost played Superman for Tim Burton in the 1990s. He turned down the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. He played Ghost Rider in two movies that did not quite work. Now, at 62 years old, he has finally found the role that fits. That role is Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir, a new series that dropped on Prime Video on May 27, 2026.
The Oscar-winning actor sat down with Variety for a wide-ranging interview published on May 27, 2026. He talked about his new show, why he changed his mind about television, and whether fans will ever see him in True Detective Season 5.
Cage’s Superhero Journey Finally Finds Its Perfect Match
Spider-Noir tells the story of Ben Reilly, a private detective in 1930s New York. His wife died. He retired from being a crime-fighting hero. But a case involving a nightclub singer pulls him back into action. The show is shot in black and white. It mixes old detective movies with superhero action.
Cage explained that he wanted to do something completely different from regular superhero movies. He looked at old actors like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson for inspiration. He also studied old German expressionist movies like Nosferatu.
“I wanted to try to create an essence of some of my favorite old world actors,” Cage said. “I wanted all of that to coalesce so when you watch the black-and-white format of ‘Spider-Noir,’ you really feel like you’re being transported to another time.”
The actor also studied spiders for the role. He learned that spiders have no muscles. Their legs work by shooting fluid through them like straws. That idea shaped how he moves in the show.
The reviews for Spider-Noir came out on May 26, 2026, one day before the show launched. The series holds a 91% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 93% audience score. Empire Magazine called it “an irresistible concoction, an utterly insane stew that somehow makes perfect sense.” The Financial Times gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Why ‘Breaking Bad’ Changed Cage’s Mind About TV
Nicolas Cage used to refuse television work. He thought TV shows were too similar to each other. Then the COVID pandemic happened. His son sat him down and made him watch Breaking Bad.
Cage was shocked by what he saw. He watched Bryan Cranston stare at a suitcase for what felt like several minutes. He could not look away. That moment changed everything for him.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and all he was doing was staring at a suitcase,” Cage recalled. “It occurred to me that you can’t do that in movies: You don’t have the time.”
He realized that an eight-hour TV season gives actors time to plant small seeds in a character. Those seeds can grow into something big by the end. Movies do not offer that luxury. So Cage waited for a TV project that felt special. Spider-Noir was that project.
Cage was nervous about doing television. He was so scared before the first script read-through that he called his old friend Charlie Sheen for advice. Sheen had done a lot of TV work.
“One of the producers said, ‘Don’t mumble,’” Cage told Sheen. Sheen asked if the producer’s last name was Sony. Cage said no. “Well, tell him to fuck off!” Sheen replied. Cage laughed, went in, and did the read-through.
The Truth About ‘True Detective’ Season 5
Rumors have been flying for months that Nicolas Cage will star in True Detective Season 5. Those rumors started in August 2025 when reports said he was close to signing a deal. The show would have him play Henry Logan, a New York detective investigating a case in Jamaica Bay.
Cage set the record straight in the Variety interview. He has talked to Issa López, the showrunner of True Detective: Night Country. He likes her a lot. But nothing is official.
“I have no idea. I think they’re working on the material, but I haven’t heard about it in quite some time,” Cage said. “I’m not signed on to anything; we’re just talking.”
The actor also admitted something surprising. He has never watched the first season of True Detective. That season, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, is often called one of the best seasons of television ever made. Cage said he has heard great things about it but has never seen it himself.
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‘Face/Off 2’ Gets a Discouraging Update
Fans have been waiting for a sequel to the 1997 action movie Face/Off for years. John Travolta and Cage played enemies who swap faces. The movie was a huge hit. A sequel has been in development since 2019.
Adam Wingard, who directed Godzilla vs. Kong, was attached to direct. But he left the project in February 2026. Cage was asked about the sequel’s status.
“I don’t know what happened, and I have zero idea if it’s going to happen. I’m the last guy to know anything,” Cage admitted.
He and Wingard had lunch together at the Smoke House in Burbank. They talked about Godzilla movies and their favorite villain, Hedorah. Cage hopes to work with Wingard someday on something else. But Face/Off 2 looks uncertain right now.
Cage did praise John Travolta’s work in the original movie. Cage only plays the villain Castor Troy for the first 12 minutes. Then Travolta takes over and plays Cage’s character for the rest of the film.
“He did a great job in that movie,” Cage said. “He really had fun with it. I like to think that I liberated him a little bit. I set the template, and he riffed on it and took it.”
Cage’s ‘Nouveau Shamanic’ Acting Style Explained
The interview also covered Cage’s famous acting style. He calls it “nouveau shamanic.” The name came from a professor named Brian Bates, who wrote books on acting. Bates suggested that shamans from thousands of years ago were actually actors. They used their imagination to find answers that helped their village.
“The notion is that actors in movies or television are doing the same thing,” Cage explained. “They’re using their imagination to tell a story that somebody may or may not find helpful in their own lives.”
Cage pointed to his Oscar-winning role in Leaving Las Vegas as an example. He played an alcoholic who goes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. Someone struggling with alcohol might watch that movie and find some kind of answer in it.
The actor also pushed back on old stories about his extreme methods. Director Mike Figgis recently told a story about Cage drinking a whole bottle of vodka before a scene and destroying a casino set. Cage said Figgis is just trying to get attention for his movie 30 years later.
“It was in the script,” Cage said flatly.
He explained that he started acting at 15. He learned as he went along. Back then, every young actor heard stories about Robert De Niro living his roles. They all thought they had to do wild things to believe they were the character. But Cage has been acting for 45 years now. He does not need to do that anymore.
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