Nicolas Cage: To Return or Not to Return to the Comic Book Genre? He Shares His Thoughts

Nicolas Cage’s potential return to the comic book film genre has been a topic of conversation among some movie geeks. The actor is known for his diverse roles and unique acting style, and he’s had a complex relationship with comic book movies, highlighted by his cameo as Superman in The Flash and his iconic portrayal of Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider.

Cage recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of diving back into the comic book movie realm in an interview with Deadline at SXSW, saying, “Would I return to the comic book genre? I guess never say never.” This statement, while not a definitive yes, leaves the door ajar for future opportunities, albeit without much enthusiasm.

Cage’s hesitation comes from his desire to distance himself from being the comic book geek that fans have seen him as. Despite owning a notable comic book collection, he emphasizes that he’s grown up and evolved both as an actor and an individual.

He expressed a certain frustration with being pigeonholed due to his past interests: “Much has been made about that. My comic book collection just goes viral quickly, exponentially, and I feel like in some ways it’s eclipsed what I’m really reading. like [Nikolai Golgol’s] The Overcoat or Herman Hesse. It’s like I’m still stuck at 12 years old with the NyQuil and the lemon cookies and The Incredible Hulk No. 72.”

He added: “Come on, I’ve grown up. That’s not who I am anymore. Which isn’t to say I don’t appreciate it. I do. And I’ll probably still be open to playing something, but it’s not really on my mind.”

The roles Cage has chosen lately in films such as Pig, The Old Way, Dream Scenario, and Arcadian, which he was promoting at SXSW, reflecting this shift as an actor. These films diverge significantly from the comic book genre, and he’s obviously looking for more complex and nuanced characters to play.

I love the kinds of roles that Cage has been playing! He’s been giving lots of great and entertaining performances! Cage Also hinted at being more selective with his projects moving forward, potentially reducing his output to one film a year or every other year. So, he’s looking to focus on quality over quantity, aiming for roles that truly resonate with him and his evolving career aspirations.

However, Cage hasn’t entirely closed the door on the superhero genre. He mentioned that he would be open to revisiting roles in sequels like Face/Off 2 or Ghost Rider, provided they offer something fresh and exciting. He remarked, “If something came along that I thought had some pop to it, some spark to it, that maybe could be fun for folks to revisit, that’s another conversation.”

There was a recent report that Cage was in talks to play Spider-Man Noir in a live-action series, We’ll just have to wait and see if that’s something that actually pans out.