Nicolas Cage has revealed that watching the television series Breaking Bad during the pandemic was a pivotal moment for him, as it made him understand the unique storytelling potential of television. This realization led him to take on the lead role in the Marvel series Spider-Noir, which he describes as a project that offers the “luxury of time” that films typically do not.
Cage admitted that he had avoided television for years because he wanted to avoid work that felt “homogenised” or “like everybody else.” However, his perspective changed after his son encouraged him to watch Breaking Bad during the lockdown. He explained that the show demonstrated how television allows actors to explore their characters in depth, something that is often limited in film due to time constraints.
“I began to see that the actors in that show were afforded the luxury of time to tell their story,” Cage said. “I saw Bryan Cranston staring at a suitcase for what seemed like minutes. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and all he was doing was staring at a suitcase, and it occurred to me that you cannot do that in movies: You don’t have the time.”
The idea of a longer-form narrative became increasingly appealing to Cage. He believed that with an eight-hour narrative, he could plant seeds for a character that would develop over time, something that is not possible in a film. This concept was central to his decision to join Spider-Noir.
In Spider-Noir, Cage stars as Ben Reilly, an ageing private investigator and superhero set in 1930s New York. The live-action series, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, is based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir. Cage reprises his role as the character he voices in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
The series features a star-studded cast, including Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, and Abraham Popoola. It is available in two versions: a black-and-white cut that mirrors classic noir films and a colour version inspired by the stylised aesthetic of films like Dick Tracy.
Cage also discussed the influences behind his performance, drawing inspiration from classic Hollywood noir and German expressionist cinema. He mentioned Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson as key inspirations, aiming to embody the style of old-world actors.
“I wanted all of that to coalesce so when you watch the black-and-white format of Spider-Noir, you really feel like you’re being transported to another time,” he said.
His movements in the series were also influenced by Max Schreck’s performance in F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent horror film Nosferatu. Cage described the choreography as indicative of German expressionism, and he worked closely with his body to create a sense of animality in the character.
“One of the most interesting things I find with spiders is that they have no muscles – their appendages are like straws, and they shoot fluid to move – and so that informed this idea of the movements,” he added.
Cage’s shifting accent throughout the series immediately caught the attention of viewers. Director Oren Uziel confirmed that this was a deliberate choice, as it reflected the character’s transformation. “He becomes The Spider and he becomes more spider than man, and has to learn how to be human. So this is him educating himself. That’s him going to the gym, almost,” Uziel told Slash Film.
Uziel also shared insights into how the accent was developed. He mentioned that scenes of Cage’s character watching classic films, such as Great Guy starring James Cagney, were filmed before selecting the final clips. “We scanned so many movies and then looked for the right clips that would be fun for him to mimic,” he said.
All episodes of Spider-Noir are now available for streaming on Prime Video UK, offering viewers both the black-and-white and colour versions of the series.
