Nicolas Cage Once Called out a Reporter for Bashing Comic Book Movies
Actor Nicolas Cage has been a longtime fan of superheroes and the movies that they inspired. So much so that Cage once defended film adaptations of comic book stories, feeling like they deserved more credibility.
Nicolas Cage defended Marvel movies from criticism
Cage is no stranger to starring in superhero projects. As many know, the actor was at one point slated to play Superman in an unreleased superhero film. The star also played a Marvel character himself in the mid to late 2000 Ghost Rider movies.
The actor once shared to GQ that he admired the Marvel brand. So when he heard about Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese’s criticism of Marvel movies, he didn’t share their feelings.
“I don’t understand the conflict. I don’t agree with them on that perception or opinion,” Cage said.
The Oscar-winner didn’t buy the opinion that Marvel films made it difficult for smaller projects to succeed.
“I think that the movies that I make, like Pig or Joe, are not in any kind of conflict with Marvel movies,” he said. “I mean, I don’t think the Marvel movie had anything to do with the end of the tweener. By tweener, I mean the $30 to $50 million budget movie. I think movies are in good shape.”
Cage further explained that he admired Marvel’s ability to appeal to a wide audience with several of its characters.
“Kevin Feige, or whoever is behind that machine, has found a masterful way of weaving the stories together and interconnecting all the characters,” he added. “What could be wrong with wholesome entertainment that is appealing to the parents and the children, and gives people something to look forward to? I just, I don’t see what the issue is.”
Nicolas Cage once called out a reporter for bashing comic book movies
Cage didn’t appreciate it when actors were being criticized for starring in certain comic book films. While doing press for 2007’s Ghost Rider, Cage shared he took issue with a journalist’s comments on Entertainment Weekly.
“Somebody asked me a question about ‘Do you think comic book movies get a bad rap?’ And someone mentioned to me that there was a blurb in Entertainment Weekly – very condescendingly — ‘We get a kick out of watching Academy Award winners being in movies they have no business being seen in.’ And I thought, ‘Well, that’s really shallow thinking, because they can’t get outside their own box,'” Cage once told Collider.
The National Treasure star went on to express how he believed those who made such comments didn’t know what art was.
“You have different styles and you can choose to be photo realistic like World Trade Center or you can be pop art illustrative. Why limit yourself to one style of acting? And especially when you look at Ghost Rider you see a comic book story structure that digs a little deeper,” he added.
How Nicolas Cage felt about the possibility of playing a superhero again
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cage was asked whether or not he saw himself returning to superhero films. Although the veteran actor didn’t give a definitive answer, he once again reiterated his admiration for the genre.
“These are hot topics, and I get it, because these are the types of things that become like wildfire on the internet. I’ve always admired the realm of the comic book and I’ve always thought stories were really colorful and entertaining and, frankly, kind of wholesome in a really positive way,” he said.
