Nicolas Cage Says He’ll ‘Probably Not’ Work With Amazon Again After Refusing an AI Waiver on ‘Spider-Noir’
Few actors have leaned into reinvention as fearlessly as Nicolas Cage. He has gone from Oscar-winning drama to cult-favorite action to horror, and in 2026 he added a new milestone with his first leading role in a TV series. That show, ‘Spider-Noir’, arrived with plenty of buzz.
It also arrived at a time when artificial intelligence has become one of Hollywood’s most contentious issues. Cage has been outspoken about that topic for years. Back in 2024, he told The New Yorker that he was terrified of AI and hoped digital body scans taken for his projects would not be used to recreate him after his death.
On Saturday, Cage took that concern a step further. Speaking on a panel on the Empire Stage at New York Comic Con, he said he refused to sign a waiver that would have allowed AI to be used on ‘Spider-Noir’, and that he will probably not work with Amazon again as a result. As Variety reported, he said, “I am not an AI-friendly actor,” tying that stance to Amazon’s investment in OpenAI.
According to Cage, Amazon has invested $50 billion in OpenAI, and he told the crowd to connect the dots. He said he is not a member of that club and that he is fine with it. The comments were notable for how openly he named the studio behind the show.
The context makes the remarks more striking. ‘Spider-Noir’ is a live-action series from Prime Video and MGM+, developed and showrun by Oren Uziel and produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios. The full season was released in May and could be watched in either black-and-white or colorized versions.
Nicolas Cage says he’s “probably not” working with Amazon again after refusing to sign an AI waiver for #SpiderNoir: “Amazon is a very AI-friendly company, to the tune of $50 billion invested in OpenAI,” Cage said at #NYCC. “I am not an AI-friendly actor, so it’s like, connect those dots! I’m not a member of their club. I didn’t sign the waiver to let him use AI on ‘Spider Noir.’ I’m probably not going to be working with that studio again, but that’s okay.” https://t.co/msBncshdP6
— Variety (@Variety) October 10, 2026
Amazon later decided not to move forward with a second season. The studio has not confirmed why, and Cage did not state that AI was the official reason. Still, his comments have added a new layer to the conversation around the show’s end.
The series gave Cage one of the most prominent roles of his television career. It follows an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York who must confront his past as the city’s only superhero. Cage originally voiced a version of Spider-Man Noir in the Oscar-winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’.
The cast also included Lamorne Morris and Brendan Gleeson. Cage has said he was drawn to television because of the time it gave him to express a character. He reportedly described the project as a pop-art mashup with some sparkle to it.
Cage did not sound bitter about the situation. At the panel, he said he wants to work with young, Gen Z directors who are making things in their own way, including through YouTube culture. He praised their approach of making projects from scratch and by hand.
He also expressed interest in doing more television. After joking that his agent might be listening somewhere, he asked whether it was fine that he was the first to announce his stance. The moment drew laughs, but the underlying message was serious.
This fan made Spider-Man Noir (2026) trailer featuring Nicolas Cage is unreal. Easily the best thing on the internet today. https://t.co/sXwUR2aM0p
— Movies Scenes 🎫 (@SceneinCinema) February 11, 2026
Cage’s comments land in the middle of a broader debate about how studios use performers’ likenesses. The question of what actors are asked to sign has become a flashpoint as the technology advances. For many performers, the issue is less about one project than about control over their image.
Cage framed the issue as one of survival for actors in a world where information is growing exponentially and quickly. He also teased a role in ‘True Detective’ during the same appearance. Whatever comes next, his refusal to sign has made him one of the most visible voices on the subject.
Do you support Nicolas Cage’s refusal to sign an AI waiver for Spider-Noir?
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