hace 3 horas
6
Like immoderate large superhero story, the root of Nicolas Cage includes the antheral calved Nicolas Coppola taking connected a caller identity. Okay, sure, helium wasn’t getting superpowers successful the process, but fixed the large successes that would travel – including winning an Academy Award and starring successful galore a deed movie – helium mightiness arsenic good have. Of course, it seems a spot weird to telephone the erstwhile Mr. Coppola mild mannered, fixed helium had specified a recognizable sanction acknowledgment to his uncle, acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, and since we cognize him to beryllium specified a wonderfully antithetic onscreen presence.
But wanting to discard immoderate of the baggage and nepotism claims that tin travel specified a lineage, young Nicolas decided helium needed a caller past name, and truthful helium turned to his lifelong emotion of comic books for inspiration. As a instrumentality of Marvel’s Hero for Hire, Luke Cage (AKA Power Man astatine the time), his prime of past sanction rapidly became clear, and the recently christened Nicolas Cage was astir to instrumentality Hollywood by storm…though to beryllium fair, it was some Luke Cage and composer John Cage helium credits for inspiring his prime of name.
In the years since, the ever-eclectic Cage has played each sorts of antithetic roles crossed each sorts of genres. But his genuine emotion for comic books has besides continually drawn him to comic adaptations, adjacent if the results person varied successful presumption of container bureau and captious results…or indeed, if they adjacent got made astatine all. With his caller streaming series, Spider-Noir, erstwhile much bringing Cage backmost into the comics realm, here’s a look backmost astatine Nicolas Cage’s comic publication adaptations truthful far.
Superman Lives (1999… if it had been made)
After winning an Academy Award for his show successful 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas, Cage took a pivot fewer could spot coming for specified a quirky, passionate actor, particularly 1 who had continued to premix successful plentifulness of small, character-driven films adjacent aft achieving stardom. But now, suddenly, helium became a bonafide enactment star; successful abbreviated order, he’d prima successful The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air, each of which were hits. In the process, helium transformed some the public’s cognition of him arsenic good arsenic however the studios saw him successful presumption of container bureau potential. Oh, helium was inactive entertainingly “weird,” but present it was understood that his weirdness could anchor a genuine blockbuster.
But determination was inactive a batch of skepticism erstwhile it was announced that Cage would beryllium playing Superman. Using a publication initially written by chap comic publication aficionado Kevin Smith (coming disconnected his ain ascendance successful the mid-’90s) earlier others worked connected aboriginal drafts, Superman Lives was intended arsenic the archetypal large cinematic reboot of the quality since Christopher Reeves’ iconic incarnation. Warner Bros. had besides hired Tim Burton, the antheral who had truthful successfully reinvented Batman successful unrecorded enactment for modern audiences, to nonstop the movie.
Burton and Cage sounds similar a earthy pairing, sure…but connected a Superman movie? This was a quality known for projecting a definite square-jawed, cornfed, midwest decency that seemed mode extracurricular Burton and Cage’s accustomed offbeat wheelhouse, not to notation Cage not looking similar the accustomed Superman actor. For that reason, contempt Cage himself adoring the quality and making it wide helium was rather invested successful playing him, determination wasn’t that overmuch instrumentality sadness erstwhile Superman Lives got the plug pulled lone weeks distant from opening production.
In the years that followed, a batch much curiosity built up astir the project, arsenic good arsenic the increasing content that this would person been a precise antithetic but possibly precise absorbing instrumentality connected the Man of Steel. In fact, there’s an full well-made documentary astir it – The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? – that goes in-depth connected what the movie could person been and includes immoderate fascinating costume trial footage of Cage.
But contempt Cage’s idiosyncratic concern successful Superman, it wasn’t to beryllium (at slightest successful this form), and helium would person to array his tendency to play a superhero.
Ghost Rider (2007) / Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
Nearly a decennary aft Superman Lives fell apart, Cage would yet get to play a comic publication quality successful Ghost Rider. In theory, Cage playing Johnny Blaze – the motorcycle stuntman who sells his psyche and transforms into a flaming-skulled tone of vengeance – sounds close up Cage’s alley successful presumption of however trippy it could get. But adjacent arsenic the MCU was getting acceptable to launch, Ghost Rider was 1 of the “other” Marvel movies often inactive being made, utilizing characters already licensed to different studios (in this lawsuit Sony). Unfortunately, Daredevil (Ben Affleck edition) manager Mark Steven Johnson went zero for 2 successful presumption of delivering a satisfying Marvel movie, with a alternatively ho-hum communicative that included conscionable a fewer moments wherever Cage could truly shine.
Still, Ghost Rider made money, and truthful Cage ended up reprising his relation successful 2012’s sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which had a much inspired filmmaker prime successful the signifier of Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor, the duo who’d made the oh-so-fun and stylized Crank films. The extremity result, however, was a movie that mostly got worse reviews than the archetypal Ghost Rider and made little wealth (although it was not a bomb).
Nevertheless, determination were fans of its go-for-broke approach, including IGN’s Scott Collura, who wrote successful his review: “Cage pulls retired each the stops arsenic Blaze tries to incorporate the occurrence within, screaming, giggling and mostly freaking retired portion his look partially CGI-morphs – a dead, blackened oculus here, a wisp of char there. It's ridiculous – and hilarious – and Cage knows it, Neveldine and Taylor cognize it, and adjacent Johnny Blaze seems to cognize it.”
Astro Boy (2009)
In the prolonged five-year interruption betwixt Ghost Rider movies, Cage had a mates different comic-based projects, including his dependable relation arsenic the rubric character’s father, Dr. Tenma, successful a 2009 animated movie mentation of the Astro Boy manga. So what drew Cage to the task too his wide emotion for comics arsenic a medium? Was it the art? The action? The fun?
Nope, arsenic helium told the LA Times: “The sadness of the communicative is precisely what drew maine to Astro Boy. I can’t assistance but consciousness for him particularly erstwhile his begetter rejects him.”
Kick-Ass (2010)
He mightiness person missed retired connected his Superman movie, but successful 2010, Nicolas Cage got to play Batman! Well, okay, not really…but kinda sorta?
Based connected the comic publication of the aforesaid name, Kick-Ass was among the earlier examples of superhero deconstruction to scope movie screens, successful the aforesaid mode specified stories had often go a portion of the comics themselves. In a satellite filled with powerless costumed vigilantes, Cage’s “Big Daddy” is an ex-cop turned obsessive superhero who’s fashioned his ain girl (Chloe Grace Moretz’ Hit-Girl) into conscionable the benignant of murderous vigilante helium is.
The Batman power for Big Daddy is obvious, from his black, caped costume to the precise amusive bushed of really showing Big Daddy applying the achromatic constitution astir his eyes that the Batman movies had agelong done without ever acknowledging it (years later, Robert Pattinson’s Batman would beryllium the archetypal to really amusement Bruce Wayne unmasked with conscionable that benignant of makeup).
Best of all, though, was Cage’s inspired performance. He’s precise bully arsenic Big Daddy’s change ego, Damon Macready, but adjacent level erstwhile he’s successful the superhero costume. As Big Daddy, Cage is precise intelligibly doing his instrumentality connected Adam West’s oh-so-memorable, stilted Batman delivery. The sardonically witty substance of ultraviolent, Dark Knight-without-restrictions enactment and a persona modeled connected the beloved and notably campy Batman TV bid works highly good successful the midst of Kick-Ass’ heightened reality.
Teen Titans GO! To the Movies (2018)
In 2018, Cage had roles successful 2 antithetic animated superhero movies – 1 based connected DC Comics characters, the different based connected Marvel. First up was Teen Titans GO! To the Movies, the feature-length mentation of the long-running series. This rather comic movie was jam-packed with jokes that ran the gamut from wholly silly slapstick to immoderate notably acheronian and edgy wit that (mostly) went implicit the heads of kids successful the audience.
Among immoderate of the galore easter eggs and heavy cuts successful the movie was a portion of casting aimed astatine a definite older in-the-know information of the audience, which was that Nicolas Cage voiced nary different than Superman! It’s a tiny relation and, similar astir each different quality successful this movie, it’s a purposely goofy mentation of the Man of Steel. There’s a spot of a poignant in-joke infinitesimal erstwhile he’s asked by Starfire if determination has ever been a movie made astir him, and Cage’s Superman answers: “So many, and much to come.”
Alas, not the 1 that would person starred Mr. Cage himself. Still, helium was present officially Superman successful 1 portion of the multiverse…and it wouldn’t beryllium the past time.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
A fewer months later, Cage could erstwhile much beryllium heard successful superheroic animated signifier successful the critically acclaimed, Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In a movie featuring respective versions of Spider-Man, Cage voiced Spider-Man Noir – a black-and-white 1930s-era incarnation of Spidey.
Cage’s vocal show was hysterical, giving the quality an old-timey Humphrey Bogart-influenced cadence arsenic helium spoke astir his communal emotion of drinking ovum creams and warring Nazis. And conscionable similar that, comic publication superfan Nicolas Cage had done it; helium had present played Superman and Spider-Man – 2 of the astir iconic, recognizable superheroes successful history! Okay, possibly not the nonstop versions radical think of, but still.
Cage wasn’t successful 2022’s sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but with Spider-Man Noir making a soundless quality astatine the extremity of that film, he’s acceptable to instrumentality successful the trilogy capper, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, successful 2027. And of course, he’ll beryllium not conscionable heard but seen arsenic a mentation of this quality soon, which we’ll get to shortly.
The Flash (2023)
Cage’s adjacent comic publication relation was a cameo meant to erstwhile much play disconnected the astir celebrated movie helium ne'er made. In The Flash, the large last confrontation involves the imaginable illness of the multiverse, starring to glimpses of different realities. Amongst acquainted versions of DC characters from TV shows and movies from the past comes a much improbable one, fixed helium ne'er really was seen connected surface successful the relation – Nicolas Cage arsenic Superman!
Unfortunately though, what could person been a amusive payoff to a travel begun successful 1998 deed aggregate barriers, starting with The Flash bombing. But possibly much notable was that the series Cage appeared successful was specifically criticized for utilizing integer recreations of dormant actors similar George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, and Adam West agelong aft they could consent to specified a thing, which remains a hotly debated topic. Plus, these recreations were criticized for looking notably integer and unrealistic, and Cage’s cameo was some soundless and progressive different often off-putting process successful the signifier of de-aging (though Cage himself had done show seizure for it). Even Cage expressed unhappiness with the extremity result, successful presumption of what he’d hoped to convey with Superman successful this little quality versus what we got.
On apical of that, there’s the elemental information that the ocular of Nicolas Cage successful a Superman costume was thing a definite benignant of geeky instrumentality could admit arsenic an wrong joke, but it was conscionable arsenic apt to beryllium baffling to radical unaware of Superman Lives. For galore successful the audience, the series featured a clump of pre-established DC movie and TV heroes, and past this large prima looking retired of spot alongside them. But look, it was a bully thought to fto him yet beryllium seen suited up arsenic Superman, adjacent if it didn’t enactment retired truthful well.
The Flash: Every Cameo successful the DC Film
Spider-Noir (2026-?)
Things are looking precise promising for Nicolas Cage’s next comic publication task though, which is some his first-ever TV bid and besides a instrumentality to a quality he’s already played successful different version.
Having already been truthful good received arsenic Spider-Man Noir successful Into the Spider-Verse, Cage present gets to bring the quality to unrecorded enactment successful the Prime series, Spider-Noir. Though the names Peter Parker and Spider-Man aren’t utilized – apt owed to the ongoing wacky specifics and restrictions related to Sony and Marvel’s shared usage of Spider-Man successful the movies – Cage volition represent 1930s backstage oculus Ben Reilly and his change ego, the Spider.
The trailers hint astatine an atmospheric, amusive series, with the black-and-white mentation (it volition simultaneously beryllium disposable successful color) looking peculiarly enticing and due for a bid that volition besides present movie noir-inspired versions of Spider-Man characters similar Black Cat, Sandman, and Electro. At the halfway of it each is Cage, heard successful the trailer intoning however helium “got plas-tered!” with conscionable the benignant of awesomely bizarre transportation we’ve travel to expect from him.
What bash you deliberation of Cage's clip successful the comics world? Let's sermon successful the comments, and ballot successful our canvass too!
English (CA) · 
English (US) · 
Spanish (MX) · 
French (CA) ·