Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage currently has 131 acting credits on his IMDb page. That is four more than Robert De Niro, even though Cage started his onscreen career 16 years later. Not all of those 131 credits have exactly been top-notch outings. That’s, uh, being polite. We love Cage, but he’s made some pretty terrible films without a ton of artistic merit. So you would think if anyone in Hollywood would not throw stones at other actors’ choices it would be him. Instead, Cage gave the MCU a verbal body slam by comparing the franchise and its aging stars in “ridiculous outfits” to professional wrestling.
The 62-year-old Cage—whose own freaking live-action superhero show Spider-Noir was just canceled at Prime Video!—had some strong/curious/arguably hypocritical thoughts about the MCU during a recent appearance at Fan Expo Dallas. His comments, which we first learned about at The Playlist, aren’t exactly ambiguous. Here’s what he said:
I do say this with love. When I see these 50-plus and otherwise intelligent and remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight — let’s face it, it’s all cutting to the fight — it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE.
Okay. Okay, let’s put aside the obvious issue of Nicolas Cage being the one to say this about the MCU so we can evaluate what he said. He’s sort of not wrong? The MCU features a lot of very talented older actors dressing up in elaborate/silly costumes for storylines that culminate in big showy fights. That is quite literally how professional wrestling works. But so what? Like the MCU, when done well, professional wrestling can tell amazing stories. It’s also not like any MCU actor can’t still do amazing work away from the franchise. Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar for Oppenheimer in-between MCU stints.
Which also sort of proves Cage’s point about the MCU. What could these older actors do if so much of their time wasn’t dedicated to fighting super villains? I suppose they could make more movies like MADDEN.
Cage being the one to say this about the MCU obviously carries an element of someone in a glass house throwing stones. But in addition to having a point, he genuinely does seem to be saying this from a place of love.
Of course, so did Shawn Michaels when he superkicked Ric Flair into retirement….
You know what? That match featured two supremely talented older performers in ridiculous costumes. And it was incredible storytelling. If Avengers: Doomsday is as good as that match, Nic Cage’s MCU comments will be right, just not for the reason he meant.