Comparison to professional wrestling

Actor Nicolas Cage criticised the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe during an appearance at Fan Expo Dallas in Texas. The 62-year-old actor acknowledged that early installments in the franchise succeeded at character development before shifting focus toward repetitive action sequences. He offered his evaluation with love for his peers, noting that the production model now relies excessively on spectacle over substantive storytelling. Cage questioned the casting choices and narrative structure that place veteran actors in elaborate costumes purely to stage confrontation scenes.

“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.”

Franchise history and personal roles

Cage spoke from personal experience with comic book adaptations, having played Johnny Blaze in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and its 2012 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. He also portrayed Big Daddy in the 2010 adaptation Kick-Ass, provided voice work for Spider-Man Noir in animated Spider-Verse releases, and starred in the live-action Spider-Noir series for Prime Video before its cancellation after one season. The actor explained to Variety that his performance in Spider-Noir drew from classic Hollywood screen personalities such as Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson to fit the black-and-white visual style. Cage preferred that project because its plot operated as a detective mystery rather than cutting straight to action.

“I wanted to try to create an essence of some of my favourite old world actors, because I wanted to embody that style - Bogart, Cagney, Edward G Robinson - and designed my performance to fit within the black-and-white format.”

Expansion of the Marvel universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe launched in 2008 with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, building toward 2012's The Avengers as the conclusion of its first phase. The franchise has since expanded across six phases to incorporate teams such as the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Defenders, the Eternals, and characters from the X-Men film series. Marvel is scheduled to release Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026 as part of Phase Six. Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider property is undergoing a separate revival with Ryan Gosling.

Wider film industry commentary

Cage joins a group of veteran filmmakers who have expressed public skepticism regarding the dominance of comic book cinema. Martin Scorsese previously likened Marvel productions to theme parks, while Francis Ford Coppola referred to the franchise output as despicable. Director Denis Villeneuve remarked that too many Marvel releases function as a cut and paste of existing formulas, and British filmmaker Ken Loach called the superhero genre boring and a cynical exercise disconnected from cinema art. Following his convention appearance, Cage is set to star as the lead in director David O. Russell's upcoming biographical film about Super Bowl figure John Madden.