‘Spider Noir’ Star Nicolas Cage Just Picked a Side in the Great Spider-Man Showdown, and Fans Are Already Fighting About It

Few debates in fandom are as reliably heated as the one over who wears the Spider-Man suit best. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland all have loyal camps, and every few months a new voice tosses fuel on the fire. The argument has been running for years, and it shows no sign of cooling down.

This time, the voice belongs to someone who knows the character from a very unusual angle. Nicolas Cage first voiced Spider-Man Noir in the animated ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and later brought the character to live action in ‘Spider-Noir.’ That makes his opinion carry extra weight, even if his character isn’t technically called Spider-Man.

Cage’s pick has resurfaced online, and it is making waves all over again. Speaking to Complex while promoting ‘Spider-Noir’ in late May, Cage named Garfield as his favorite. He called him “a marvelous actor” who “did a terrific job,” and said he would put him as “the best Spider-Man in cinema.”

The exchange took a comedic turn first. According to coverage of the interview, Cage dodged the question of whether he had seen all the Spider-Man movies, and then the interviewer introduced a “f—, marry, kill” game involving the different Spider-Men. Cage appeared unfamiliar with how the game worked and looked confused.

Even so, he repeatedly singled out Garfield as his favorite. He also said that among the younger Peter Parkers, Garfield was the one who stood out as really something to watch. What began as a lighthearted bit ended up as a surprisingly sincere tribute.

Garfield’s tenure as Peter Parker has had an interesting arc. He starred in 2 solo films, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2,’ which drew heavy criticism overall, particularly the sequel. Yet commentary on his own performances has been almost universally positive across all 3 of his appearances.

His standing has climbed in recent years, helped by his return in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ where all 3 live-action Spider-Men shared the screen. Cage’s endorsement adds to a growing sense that Garfield’s version was better than the films around it. Cage is also a noted comic book fan, which gives the praise additional weight.

Cage’s credentials are unusual. In ‘Spider-Noir,’ he plays Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York who is also the city’s only superhero. The series is set in a universe not connected to the MCU or the Spider-Verse films.

It premiered on MGM+ on May 25 and arrived on Prime Video on May 27, with all 8 episodes available in both black-and-white and color. Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot developed it, with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal executive producing. Critics and audiences loved it, giving it a 92% critics score and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The series also earned 11 Emmy nominations, the most of any Prime Video series in 2026. Even so, Prime Video chose not to order a second season. Cage told Deadline that one season felt perfect to him, since he had said what he wanted to say with this pop-art take on the hero.

Cage’s comments land as Spider-Man dominates the box office conversation. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ starring Holland, is the biggest release of the year so far and a domestic opening record-setter this summer. That makes Cage’s choice of someone other than the current MCU star all the more eye-catching.

It also reminds fans that every actor in the role has brought something different. Maguire gave audiences an earnest trilogy, Garfield offered an emotional, quippy take and Holland has brought youthful energy. Many online reactions have been predictably split, with some cheering praise for an actor they feel never got the movies he deserved, while others insist Maguire or Holland should still wear the crown.

One reviewer called ‘Spider-Noir’ the single best project from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe that does not feature Holland, and praised Cage for channeling his love of cinema and comics. That adds a layer to the pick: it comes from a performer who has been immersed in the character’s world from several different directions. Whatever side you land on, Cage’s love for the performance shows how strongly it still resonates.

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