Nicolas Cage has added a new comic book character to his filmography, making him the third actor to have played Superman and Spider-Man. Although Nicolas Cage is known for his dramatic roles and a couple of action ones, he has had some notable comic book roles in his career. The most recent addition to them is Prime Video’s <em>Spider-Noir</em> TV show, developed by Oren Uziel and starring Cage as Ben Reilly a.k.a. The Spider.
Reilly is an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator, struggling with his past as the Spider, the only superhero in 1930s New York City. When he’s presented with an intriguing case, Reilly becomes the Spider one more time to solve it. This is the second time Nicolas Cage plays Spider-Noir, as he voiced the Peter Parker version of the character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a role he will reprise in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Cage’s comic book characters haven’t been exclusive to one universe, as he has covered different ones and explored traditional superheroes and antiheroes as well, as he did as Ghost Rider and later as Big Daddy in Kick-Ass. His role as Spider-Noir has now made him part of a very exclusive group of actors who have played both Spider-Man and Superman, but with a twist.
Nicolas Cage, Jack Quaid, & Yuri Lowenthal Have Played Both Superman & Spider-Man
So far, only three actors have played Superman and Spider-Man, and those are Nicolas Cage, Jack Quaid, and Yuri Lowenthal. Jack Quaid is no stranger to the superhero genre, and though he’s best known for playing Hughie Campbell in Prime Video’s The Boys, he has also played well-known characters from both DC and Marvel Comics, starting with Alberto Falcone in the animated movie Batman: The Long Halloween: Part One.
In 2023, Quaid voiced one of Peter Parker’s versions in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, though it’s important to note that his Peter doesn’t become Spider-Man, instead becoming Lizard in a universe where Gwen Stacy becomes Spider-Woman. Since 2023, Quaid has been voicing Clark Kent/Superman in My Adventures with Superman, which is returning with a third season this summer.
Yuri Lowenthal is a voice actor who has played Spider-Man in various video games since 2014, including 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man, 2023’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and 2024’s Marvel Rivals. However, before bringing Spider-Man to life, Lowenthal voiced Superman (among other characters) in the 2006 animated series Legion of Super Heroes. As for Cage, in addition to the above-mentioned performances as Spider-Noir, he voiced Superman in the 2018 animated movie Teen Titans Go! To The Movies.
However, Cage stands out in this group as the only one who has played both Superman and Spider-Man in live-action, but there’s a twist there. Cage suited up as Superman in the 1990s for the canceled Superman Lives movie by Tim Burton, though he made his first and only big-screen appearance as Superman in a brief yet controversial cameo in 2023’s The Flash.
Spider-Noir Is Nicolas Cage’s Best Comic Book Role To Date
Nicolas Cage has had some great comic book roles so far, but Spider-Noir is now his best to date. Spider-Noir quickly became a success, currently holding a 91% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes along with a 93% popcornmeter score. Spider-Noir has been praised for its visuals, storytelling, and tone, though most praise has gone to Cage’s performance.
Cage brilliantly brought to life a mature and cynical retired superhero with a unique type of charm that only Cage could inject into the character. Cage’s acting style turned out to be a perfect fit for the character and show, which has a moodier style like that of noir movies (of course) rather than a fast-paced, colorful, action-packed tone like many other modern superhero shows.
Spider-Noir has become proof of Nicolas Cage’s acting range, showing that he can play tragic, dramatic characters as well as eccentric ones and superheroes. Whether Spider-Noir will get a second season or not is to be seen, but it has already given Nicolas Cage his best comic book role to date.
