Nicolas Cage Nearly Joined Spider-Man Live-Action Universe as Major Villain Before Turning It Down

Nicolas Cage has revealed that he once turned down the chance to play one of Spider-Man’s most famous villains, the Green Goblin, in Sam Raimi’s 2002 film “Spider-Man.”

Speaking to PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of his new series “Spider-Noir,” Cage explained that he did discuss the role with director Sam Raimi at the time. However, he ultimately chose a different project instead.

He said the decision came down to timing and other creative opportunities he was more interested in at the moment. The role of Norman Osborn later went to Willem Dafoe, whose performance became one of the most well-known villain portrayals in superhero film history.

“For me, that was the right choice at the time,” Cage said when reflecting on turning down the role.

Around the same period, Cage chose to star in “Adaptation,” directed by Spike Jonze, which also featured Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, and Tilda Swinton.

Even though he passed on playing the Green Goblin, Cage said he has never tried to limit himself to one type of character in his career. He explained that he enjoys both heroic and villain roles and prefers to move between different kinds of performances.

“I’ve played plenty of villains. I like both,” he said. “I think they’re both important parts of cinema. I would not want to get trapped into doing one thing.”

Now, more than 20 years later, Cage is officially part of the Spider-Man universe. He stars in the upcoming Prime Video series “Spider-Noir,” where he plays Ben Reilly, an older private investigator version of the character set in 1930s New York City.

The role connects back to his earlier work in animation, where he voiced a version of the character in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

At the premiere, Cage said he approached the role by mixing old Hollywood inspiration with the comic book world. He mentioned actors like James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Edward G. Robinson as influences while building his performance.

“Spider-Noir” will premiere on Prime Video on May 27 and will be available in both black-and-white and color versions.

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