"Actors in their 50s wearing ridiculous costumes and just fighting nonstop," says Nicolas Cage, "Marvel movies are like expensive WWE"

*This content was translated by AI.

He who played 'Ghost Rider'… Fans react to his jab at the MCU: "Who do you think you are?"

Criticism centered on combat action, premised on "words spoken with affection"

Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage fired a direct shot at the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He stated that it is becoming a "glorious WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) that just spends a lot of money," where talented mid-career actors wear ridiculous costumes and repeatedly perform combat scenes.

Cage made these remarks recently at the Fan Expo Dallas event. Opening with, "I say this out of love," he said, "Actors in their 50s who are intelligent and possess outstanding talent put on those ridiculous costumes and prepare for combat, and it keeps leading into actual fight scenes. I cannot help but think that the MCU is becoming a glorious WWE that just spends a lot of money." This pointed out the trend in recent superhero films that utilize flashy costumes and the star power of actors while excessively focusing the narrative on action scenes.

Nevertheless, Cage has given positive evaluations to early Marvel films. It was reported that this statement was not a comprehensive criticism of Marvel or its actors, but rather an expression of his views on the direction of recent works.

Interestingly, Cage himself also has deep ties with Marvel characters. He played the Marvel character Johnny Blaze in 'Ghost Rider' in 2007 and 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' in 2012. Recently, he also took on the lead role in Sony's Marvel series 'Spider-Noir.'

Particular attention was drawn to the fact that these remarks came immediately after 'Spider-Noir' was canceled after one season. Cage is not an actor belonging to the MCU, but he is an actor who has played Marvel characters multiple times.

However, neither of these two series belonged to Marvel Studios' MCU. 'Spider-Noir' ended early after its eight-episode first season. The 'Ghost Rider' character played by Cage is scheduled to officially join the MCU for the first time in July 2028 through Ryan Gosling, leading some to evaluate the timing as peculiar.

The background of these remarks also includes recurring criticisms in recent Hollywood. There are points raised that the MCU relies excessively on continuously bringing back past stars rather than creating new stories; indeed, it is known that 'Avengers: Doomsday,' scheduled for release this December, will feature the mass return of existing stars such as Robert Downey Jr., Patrick Stewart, and Chris Evans.

The remarks spread rapidly on social media, with reactions sharply divided. One fan pointed out, "I wonder if someone with a filmography like Cage's has the right to say such things," while another fan sarcastically remarked, "He didn't complain when he was getting paid for Ghost Rider and Spider-Noir," directly adding, "He did not complain when he received enormous sums of money for playing Spider-Man and Ghost Rider."

There were also fans who posted a photo of his cameo appearance as Superman in the 2023 film 'The Flash' and reacted with, "Who is talking to whom right now?" Social media accounts related to wrestling also shared the remarks, pouring out similar criticisms.

On the other hand, there were also considerable voices defending Cage. Along with reactions agreeing that "the point that the MCU relies only on spectacle is valid," comments continued expressing empathy with the view that the franchise excessively depends on a formula centered on character team-ups and massive action climaxes. Some also responded, "Considering that many superhero movies end with scenes where heroes and villains smash each other while destroying their surroundings, Cage's wrestling analogy is not entirely wrong."

Previously, in an interview with Variety before the release of 'Spider-Noir,' Cage revealed that the reason he was drawn to this work was not because it was a superhero story, but because it was produced in a black-and-white film noir style. Playing detective Ben Riley, who became the only superhero after experiencing personal tragedy, set against 1930s New York during the Great Depression, he explained that he wanted to incorporate the acting styles of old masters like Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson. He stated that he wanted to create a "sense like Roy Lichtenstein's pop art" by clashing Stan Lee's masterpiece 'Spider-Man' with the dialogue style of old actors. He also confessed that he "kept worrying about being fired until I decided to appear in the drama; it was a scary and dangerous challenge," and that one could not know if it would be successful until watching all eight episodes.

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*This content was translated by AI.