Nicolas Cage opens up about rejecting Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ villain role
The actor reveals he once discussed playing Green Goblin with director Sam Raimi
Nicolas Cage has revealed he once passed on the opportunity to play the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man, admitting he believes it was ultimately the right decision for his career at the time.
Speaking at the New York City premiere of Spider-Noir, the 62-year-old actor reflected on discussions he had with Raimi about portraying Norman Osborn before the role famously went to Willem Dafoe.
“For me, that was the right choice at the time,” Cage said.
Instead of joining the superhero blockbuster, Cage chose to star in Adaptation, Spike Jonze’s critically acclaimed 2002 drama alongside Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper and Tilda Swinton.
Dafoe would go on to deliver one of the most celebrated comic-book villain performances of the modern era as the Green Goblin opposite Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man.
Despite turning down the role, Cage said he has always enjoyed moving freely between heroic and villainous characters throughout his career rather than limiting himself to one category.
“I’ve played plenty of villains. I like both,” he explained. “I think they’re both important parts of cinema. I would not want to get trapped into doing one thing.”
More than two decades after declining the part, Cage is finally stepping fully into the Spider-Man universe with Spider-Noir, the upcoming live-action series based on the Marvel comic character he previously voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
The series follows Ben Reilly, an aging private investigator navigating 1930s New York while grappling with his past as the city’s masked hero.
Discussing his creative approach to the character, Cage said he drew inspiration from classic Hollywood icons including James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson.
“I wanted to collide them with Stan Lee’s masterpiece, Spider-Man, and create something new,” he said.
Cage added that much of his preparation involved revisiting old noir films to capture their distinctive “aura” and tone.
Spider-Noir premieres on Prime Video on May 27 and will be available in both black-and-white and color formats.
