‘Spider Noir’ Star Nicolas Cage Says the MCU Is Like a “Glorified WWE” in Blunt Superhero Take
Nicolas Cage has a long and complicated relationship with Marvel. The Oscar winner has spent more than 4 decades bouncing between prestige dramas, action staples and gleefully unhinged genre experiments. He is also a lifelong comic book fan whose stage name was inspired by the superhero Luke Cage.
Over the years, he has weighed in on the superhero genre more than once. In 2022, he said he did not understand the Coppola-Scorsese criticism of Marvel and praised the studio for entertaining the whole family, and his only real complaint was that the franchise had not existed early enough to spare him the ‘Ghost Rider’ films.
In 2026, his first-ever TV role put him back in the superhero conversation. The series ‘Spider-Noir’ premiered in May on Prime Video and MGM+, and it shapes how he talks about the genre today. That brings us to the latest Nicolas Cage MCU comments.
Nicolas Cage compares the MCU to a "glorified WWE"
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) September 30, 2026
"When I see these 50+ – remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight – It's hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE"… pic.twitter.com/SyXshab57B
On September 29, Cage appeared at Fan Expo and offered a candid take on where superhero films are heading. According to multiple reports, he compared the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a well-funded, glorified version of WWE.
His argument was simple. He said he sees more than 50 remarkably gifted actors putting on ridiculous outfits and getting ready for a fight, and that these movies inevitably cut to the brawl. That reminded him of pro wrestling, with the MCU turning into a kind of big-budget version of it.
“When I see these 50+ – remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight – It’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE”
Reports noted that Cage prefaced his comments by saying he meant them with love. That framing matters, because he is not a stranger to defending the franchise. In 2023, he told an audience at the Miami Film Festival that he has to be nice about Marvel because he named himself after Luke Cage.
Even then, he also said he does not need to be in the MCU. His comments at Fan Expo fit that pattern of affection paired with a clear opinion.
Cage is not speaking from the sidelines. He fronted ‘Spider-Noir’, playing Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York who once operated as the city’s only superhero. Deadline noted that the identity was changed for TV because of rights carveouts.
The 8-episode series was not part of the MCU, and its film noir styling set it apart from the colorful spectacle Marvel Studios is known for. It earned 11 Emmy nominations and won 4, but Prime Video canceled it after one season in September. Cage said he was satisfied with the creative direction of the first season and how it wrapped up.
The remarks arrive as Marvel gears up for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ this December, a film built around returns from Robert Downey Jr., Patrick Stewart and Chris Evans, among others. Observers have noted that recent MCU entries lean on returning characters instead of new stories.
The MCU has built its multi-billion-dollar brand around high-profile team-ups and action-heavy climaxes, with heavy CGI, elaborate costuming and complex stunt work. Cage’s comparison draws a direct line between those set pieces and the structure of WWE programming, where the match is the main draw.
As with most comments about Marvel, reaction was split. Some fans agreed that the franchise leans too heavily on spectacle, while others argued that superhero fights are the whole point of the genre.
Wrestling outlets picked up the story too, treating the comparison as a nod to how both formats rely on physical spectacle to keep audiences engaged across long runs.
Do you agree with Nicolas Cage’s comparison of the MCU to a “glorified WWE”?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments.
