Entertainment
Nic Cage Nearly Ruined Marvel's Greatest Superhero Movie
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
What do you think the most important superhero movie ever made was? You might be tempted to throw out films like Avengers: Endgame, which many still consider the peak of tights-and-flights cinema. Alternatively, you might throw out classic films, like the 1978 Superman or 1989 Batman, which proved superheroes had a place on the big screen. Arguably, though, the most important superhero film was Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie. It created the template (a combination of action, humor, and killer set pieces) that almost all 21st century cape content would follow, and it influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe so much that Toby Maguire’s web-head played a pivotal role in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
That film also saw the return of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, a foe first introduced in Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie. Dafoe was instantly iconic in this role, and his captivatingly crazy performance is a big part of why that film works so well. However, would you believe that Dafoe almost didn’t get the part? Nicolas Cage recently disclosed that he had spoken directly to Raimi about playing the cackling supervillain, and Dafoe only got cast once Cage backed out of the project.
No Cage For This Spider
Nicolas Cage dropped this juicy morsel of gossip in a recent interview with People. Ironically enough, he spoke to the outlet at the recent premiere of Spider-Noir, the live-action solo show dedicated to the character he voiced in the Spider-Verse films. He disclosed that, back in 2002, he spoke to director Sam Raimi and had the option of starring as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man. However, he turned the opportunity down to star in Adaptation instead, a decision he believes was “the right choice.”
While Cage believed this was the right choice for his career, it was also the right choice for the movie. At the time, Cage was arguably a bit too iconic to play the role, having established himself as major Hollywood force in the ‘80s with hit films like Peggy Sue Got Married and Raising Arizona. In the ‘90s, he became an action hero in films like The Rock and Con Air, and he got to play both villain and hero in Face/Off. Throw in his highly-public attempt to star as Superman, and Cage was just too big for the role of Green Goblin compared to Willem Dafoe, who had spent decades playing quirky outsiders.
A Little Too Zany
Now, I love Nicolas Cage, both in his vintage hits and in more recent films, like the sublime Mandy. But when someone casts Cage in a movie, they do so knowing that he only has one setting: intense. Sometimes, you get the over-the-top line deliveries and manic energy that has been lovingly labeled “Cage Rage” by his fans. But even when Cage isn’t actively freaking out onscreen, his intensity smolders so hot that it seems it could boil over at any time. Does this make for captivating movies? Of course! But the intensity makes it that much harder for Cage to play a man with two lives.
That’s part of why he would have been terrible as Green Goblin, a character who is a CEO and father figure by day and a murderous supervillain by night. Cage wouldn’t have been able to pull this off because we would always see the Goblin simmering under the surface of Norman Osborne. But Willem Dafoe is so deft in his performance as the supervillain that he often seems like two completely different characters trapped in one body. The transformation from Jekyll to Hyde is stunning to witness, and it’s no surprise that most of the early Spider-Man memes focused on Dafoe’s character.
Begun, The Noir Wars Have
There are other reasons why Nicolas Cage would have been a terrible Green Goblin, including the fact that he would have overshadowed everyone else in the film. Mostly, though, the movie would have been a waste of his particular talents. Cage always brings a wacky trademark energy to films that would have been out of place in Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie. However, that energy made him weirdly perfect to voice Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. That character proved so popular that he’s now getting his own solo show on Prime Video.
Nicolas Cage makes his live-action debut as Spider-Noir on May 27th. The eight-episode series will be in black and white, giving audiences an extensive look at how well Cage can bring this surprise favorite character to life. Will he lend some of his over-the-top energy to this Prime Video show? If so, be sure to close your eyes and really soak up the experience. After all, this might be the closest we’ll ever come to seeing (or not seeing, if you still have your eyes closed like a good boy!) this acclaimed actor play as the Green Goblin.