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‘I Meant It When I Said What I Said’ — Nicolas Cage is Actually Relieved That Spider-Noir Got Canceled
Nicolas Cage says he is relieved that *Spider-Noir* ended after one season, because he feels Ben Reilly’s story was complete and extending it could have made the character feel overused. The cancellation followed the show’s fall from Prime Video’s top 10, despite its strong initial reviews.
Cage described his role as a high-risk performance and said he prefers not to repeat characters; he compared the appeal of a single season to older television series. He has also said he refused to sign an AI-use waiver for the animated series and is unlikely to work with Amazon again. Cage is preparing to play John Madden in the film *Madden*, due for release on 18 November.
In short
- Cage is glad *Spider-Noir* ended after one season.
- He believes continuing Ben Reilly’s story could wear out the character.
- His refusal to sign an AI waiver may also rule out a return.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A single season can give Ben Reilly’s story a deliberate ending and preserve the freshness of Cage’s high-risk performance. Extending a character after the story feels complete may weaken the work, while a finite run can leave audiences with a more distinctive series.
The case against
A second season could have explored new parts of Ben Reilly’s story and built on the show’s strong initial reviews, rather than treating its early decline in rankings as the last word. Continuing might also have served viewers who wanted more of the character and given the creative team room to develop the series in response to its audience.