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 film fanatics. The actor is known for his diverse roles and unique acting style, and has had a complex relationship with comic book films, highlighted by his cameo as Superman in The flash and his iconic performance as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Knight.

Cage recently shared his thoughts on diving back into the comic book movie realm in an interview with Deadline at SXSW, saying, “Would I go back 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 stems from his desire to distance himself from being the comic book geek that fans see him as. Although he has an impressive collection of comics, he emphasizes that he has grown and evolved both as an actor and as an individual.

He expressed some frustration at being pigeonholed because of his past interests: “A lot has been made about it. My comic collection goes viral quickly, exponentially, and I feel like it has somehow eclipsed what I’m actually reading. Pleases [Nikolai Golgol’s] The overcoat or Herman Hesse. It’s like I’m still stuck at 12 with NyQuil, lemon cookies and The Incredible Hulk No. 72.”

He added: “Come on, I’ve grown up. I’m not like that 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 that Cage has chosen lately in films such as Pig, old fashioned, dream scenarioAND Arcadian, which he was promoting at SXSW, reflecting this change as an actor. These films diverge significantly from the comic book genre and he is obviously looking for more complex and nuanced characters to play.

I love the kind of roles Cage played! He gave many great and fun shows! Cage has also hinted at being more selective with which projects he pursues, potentially reducing his output to one film a year or every two years. So, he’s trying to focus on quality over quantity, aiming for roles that truly resonate with him and his evolving career aspirations.

However, Cage didn’t completely close the door on the superhero genre. He said he would be open to revisiting roles in sequels like Face/Off 2 OR Ghost Knight, as long as they offer something fresh and exciting. She noted, “If something came along that I thought had some pizazz, some spark, that maybe would be fun for people 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 works out.