In recent years, Oscar winner Nicolas Cage has become best known for what we’ll call his engrossing and often over-the-top acting style. That meme-worthy charisma and recognizable voice made him ideally suited to playing Spider-Man Noir in Best Animated Feature Film winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In advance of the film’s upcoming home video release, a new featurette shows Nic Cage going ham recording his role as the hardened crime fighter. Check it out:
You have to love how self-aware Nicolas Cage is that upon getting notes during his first recording session. The veteran actor could sense that what the director really wanted was for him to let loose and go ham (not unlike his co-star Spider-Ham). With no need to hold back or be more reserved, the veteran actor went ‘Full Cage,’ and if Robert Downy Jr.'s character in Tropic Thunder were here, I imagine he would say "You always go Full Cage."
Going 'Full Cage' brought what the director wanted and audiences demand, delivering one of the film’s standout performances. Spider-Man Noir wasn’t exactly the kind of yelling and screaming Nicolas Cage that we saw in Face/Off or last year’s Mandy (solid 2018 for him), but that wasn’t what the role called for and he ‘brought the Cage’ in a different way, delivering some truly ridiculous and hilarious lines as the color blind crime fighter.
The actor, who is a noted comic book fan, totally gets what this hard-boiled Spidey is supposed to be, comparing him to the work of author Raymond Chandler, who wrote The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely. Spider-Man Noir is the prototypical noir detective, he just also happens to be Spider-Man. Nicolas Cage also said that Spider-Man Noir is probably a fan of The Public Enemy actor James Cagney and Cage definitely seemed to be channeling Cagney in his performance.
Also, it must be mentioned that Nicolas Cage’s noir attire in this featurette with the fancy black jacket is a nice touch; call it method with style. If there is any justice in this world, in addition to the previously announced sequel and spinoff to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we’ll get another spinoff featuring Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir. He's just such a fun character and Nicolas Cage is so delightful in the role. There are limitless possibilities with the Spider-Verse and this one needs to be realized.
Fans can relive all the inter-dimensional hijinks and adventures when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hits Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD on March 19. The film is already available on Digital HD.
Check our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all of this year’s biggest movies, including the return of Spider-Man in live-action and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.
