How ‘Breaking Bad’ Helped Inspire Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Role in a Surprising Way
Nicolas Cage’s move into television with Spider-Noir has an unexpected backstory, and it involves one of the most popular TV dramas of all time. According to co-showrunner Oren Uziel, AMC’s Breaking Bad played a key role in convincing Cage to take on his first major television series role.
The information comes from an interview Uziel gave, where he explained how the casting process unfolded and why Cage was initially unsure about stepping into long-form television storytelling.
Uziel said Cage had never really committed to a television series before Spider-Noir. The actor is known mostly for his film work, and he was hesitant about changing formats. As Uziel put it, “He’s a movie guy, and I think he was nervous.”
The turning point, according to Uziel, came through Cage’s personal life. He shared that Cage’s son introduced him to Breaking Bad, which helped shift his perspective on television. Uziel even said, “I recently thanked Vince Gilligan for helping me get Nic Cage.”
Watching Breaking Bad reportedly made Cage rethink what television could be. Instead of seeing it as a smaller format than film, he began to see it as something more cinematic and character-driven. That shift helped him feel more comfortable considering the Spider-Noir project.
Uziel said that was important because the creative approach behind Spider-Noir was already designed to feel more like a movie than a traditional series. He explained that his influences came from classic Hollywood films rather than modern television. He mentioned titles like Double Indemnity, Casablanca, His Girl Friday, and Chinatown as key inspirations for the tone and style of the show.
According to Uziel, that cinematic approach helped bridge the gap for Cage. Once he saw that Spider-Noir was being built with a strong film-style identity, he became more open to joining. After watching Breaking Bad, Uziel recalled Cage’s reaction simply as, “Okay, I think I can make a TV show.”
Once he signed on, Cage became heavily involved in shaping his character. Uziel described him as fully committed from the beginning of production. He said, “He’s prepped. He learned every script before the table read.” The actor also worked closely with the creative team to refine the role and develop the tone of the character.
Uziel added that the process felt collaborative. He said they would go through Cage’s ideas together and adjust the character as needed. “We shaped the character together, and it was really like a team effort,” he explained.
Spider-Noir is based on the Marvel Comics version of Spider-Man Noir and follows an older private investigator version of the hero living in a stylized 1930s New York City. The series blends superhero storytelling with noir crime drama and is set in an alternate universe within Sony’s Spider-Man franchise.
The show premiered first on MGM+ before arriving on Prime Video globally. It stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly / The Spider, alongside Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston, and Brendan Gleeson.
According to early critical response reported by MGM+ and Amazon MGM Studios materials, Cage’s performance has been widely praised, with many highlighting his commitment to the role and the show’s strong cinematic style.
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