Nicolas Cage on 'Spider-Noir,' Watching 'Breaking Bad,' 'True Detective'

Key Points:

• Nicolas Cage's long journey with superhero roles includes near-casting as Superman in Tim Burton's canceled "Superman Lives" and turning down the Green Goblin role in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" due to other commitments.
• Cage stars as Ben Reilly in the new series "Spider-Noir," premiering May 27 on Prime Video, which blends film noir aesthetics with superhero storytelling, featuring Cage channeling classic actors like Bogart in a black-and-white visual style.
• The actor describes his unique "nouveau shamanic" acting philosophy, emphasizing imagination as a tool to create magical, believable characters, and shares his evolution away from extreme method acting.
• Cage discusses his transition to television, inspired by shows like "Breaking Bad," appreciating the medium's ability to develop complex characters over time, and expresses excitement about "Spider-Noir" as a special project.
• Reflecting on his career, Cage explains his choice of stage name inspired by Luke Cage, his friendships with fellow actors like Johnny Depp and Charlie Sheen, and addresses rumors about projects like "Face/Off 2" and "True Detective" Season 5.