In a recent interview with IGN, actor Nicolas Cage expressed relief regarding the cancellation of the Prime Video animated series Spider-Noir. Cage, who voices the character Ben Reilly, indicated that he felt the show’s single season was a complete and sufficient narrative arc.
A preference for single-season stories
Speaking with Jeffrey Vega in early November, Cage addressed whether there were more stories to be told regarding the idiosyncratic character. The actor maintained that the first season was a complete experience, stating, “I meant it when I said what I said. It’s a perfect season.”
Cage explained his desire to avoid character repetition to prevent “wearing out your welcome,” comparing his preference to one-season shows like Rock Hudson and Macmillan. He described his performance as “high-risk, tightrope stuff” and noted that attempting to sustain the character through multiple seasons could diminish the impact of the work. “So when they didn’t pick it up, I was like, ‘Whew, thank you!'” Cage told IGN.
Dispute with Amazon over artificial intelligence
Beyond his creative views on the character, Cage confirmed he would not have returned to the series due to a fundamental disagreement with Amazon’s stance on artificial intelligence. The actor revealed that he refused to sign a waiver allowing the use of AI on the animated production.
Cage criticized the studio’s relationship with the technology, noting that Amazon is “a very AI-friendly company” with significant investments in OpenAI. “I’m not an AI-friendly actor,” Cage said, adding, “I’ll probably not work with that studio again, but that’s OK.”
During the 2025 Saturn Awards, Cage expanded on his opposition to the technology, arguing that “robots cannot reflect the human condition for us” and warning that allowing AI to manipulate performances would result in the “integrity, purity, and truth of art” being replaced by financial interests.
Upcoming projects
While the Spider-Noir series was officially canceled by the streamer in September after falling out of the top 10 shows, Cage is currently preparing for the November 18 release of his new sports comedy, Madden, in which he portrays John Madden.
