Nicolas Cage calls Marvel MCU a ‘well-funded and glorified WWE’: ‘It's all cutting to the fight'

For a man who once rode a flaming motorcycle as Ghost Rider, Nicolas Cage has surprisingly little patience for superhero spectacle these days.

Speaking to fans at Fan Expo Dallas, the 62-year-old Oscar winner shared his thoughts on where the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ended up. In his view, the franchise that once drew audiences in with carefully connected character arcs has shifted toward increasingly elaborate action sequences, which he compared to a "well-funded and glorified WWE."

Cage was quick to give Marvel credit for its beginnings, particularly the way the studio connected its individual heroes and their stories.

"It started out, in my view, terrific. Some of the early stories were marvellous, the way that they wove all the threads together and told the different character stories and backstories," he said.

His criticism is aimed more at the scale and formula of some of the films that followed. Cage said the focus on increasingly large battle sequences can overshadow the character-driven storytelling that initially drew him to the franchise.

"I do say this with love… 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," he said.

Cage has never appeared in the MCU itself, though he is no stranger to Marvel material. He played Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider (2007) and its sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012). More recently, he took the lead role in Sony's Spider-Noir, which was cancelled after a single eight-episode season.

The MCU launched in 2008 with Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Thor, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye followed, before the heroes came together in The Avengers in 2012. Since then, the MCU has expanded into a sprawling collection of interconnected films and streaming series.

There is also a twist to the timing of Cage's comments: His former role is set to return to Marvel. Ryan Gosling has been cast as Ghost Rider in Marvel Studios' upcoming film of the same name, directed by Shawn Levy and currently scheduled for release on July 28, 2028.