Nicolas Cage opens up about high-risk wire stunts in ‘Spider-Noir’
The actor revealed he spent much of the shoot suspended in mid-air for web-slinging scenes
Nicolas Cage has opened up about the physical demands of his latest role in Spider-Noir, revealing that the show’s extensive wire work gave him a constant adrenaline rush on set.
Speaking exclusively with People at the New York City premiere of the upcoming Prime Video series on May 13, the 62-year-old actor said portraying Ben Reilly, a 1930s private investigator with spider-like abilities, required frequent “flying around” sequences that kept him suspended on wires.
“I did a lot of wirework, which is understandable since this character is flying around quite a bit on webs,” Cage said. “I always get a kick out of that.”
The Oscar-winning actor admitted the experience wasn’t without its edge-of-your-seat tension.
“It brings my adrenaline up. You never know if it’s gonna snap,” he said, before quickly crediting the production team for keeping things under control. “But I had a great team… they knew what they were doing. Everybody was on point so I was safe.”
Despite the physicality of the role, Cage said his focus was also on adapting his performance style to the series’ distinctive presentation, which will be released in both “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color” versions.
“Primarily, I was focused on trying to craft this performance style that would fit in the black and white format,” he explained.
Spider-Noir follows Cage’s character as he is drawn back into his masked past after a personal tragedy, operating as the city’s lone superhero in a gritty, noir-inspired version of 1930s New York.
The series marks Cage’s return to the Spider-Man universe after previously voicing Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), and follows his earlier Marvel role as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider.
The eight-episode series also stars Lamorne Morris, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Brendan Gleeson, and Jack Huston. It premieres on MGM+’s linear channel on May 25 before streaming globally on Prime Video on May 27.
