New Delhi: Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Noir was cancelled by Prime Video after Season 1, even after being nominated for 11 Emmy Awards. The actor has now criticised the move, saying Marvel movies are ‘becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE’.
“When I see these 50-plus and otherwise intelligent and remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready to fight — let’s face it. It’s all cutting to the fight — it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE,” he said.
While Cage’s Spider-Noir was not part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), he said that his comments came from a place of affection for the actor working in its movies.
“I say this with love and admiration for the actors, because I know how much work they put into it,” he said.
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‘One season is perfect’
Spider-Noir was Cage’s first regular television role and saw him play a darker version of the Spider-Man character. Set in 1930s New York during the Great Depression, the series followed an ageing private investigator who is a retired superhero with spiderman power but now he has to confront his past as the city’s mysterious superhero.
Instead of the colourful superhero world generally associated with Marvel, Spider-Noir was shot in classic film noir. Cage also took inspiration from classic Hollywood actors while developing the character.
“I wanted to try to create an essence of some of my favourite old-world actors because I wanted to embody that style — Bogart, Cagney, Edward G Robinson,” Cage said.
The actor also explained why the series appealed to him, particularly because of its unusual approach to the superhero genre. Rather than simply playing another superhero in a large-scale action series, Cage was able to combine the Spider-Man mythology with the style of classic detective films.
The series premiered on Prime Video and bagged five Emmys from its 11 nominations.
“For me, one season is perfect,” he said.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)