Nic Cage Calls MCU a ‘Glorified WWE’ and Maybe He Has a Point

Nicolas Cage’s criticism of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hits a nerve because it isn’t an attack on superhero stories. It’s a complaint about what happens when spectacle replaces story. At Fan Expo Dallas, Cage said the MCU has become “a well-funded and glorified WWE.” He said it “with love,” but his point was clear. Too many franchise films seem built around costumes, digital armies, giant fights, and the next crossover. “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.” Cage knows the genre. He starred in Ghost Rider, voiced Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and led Amazon’s Spider-Noir. He was also cast as Superman in Tim Burton’s abandoned Superman Lives, later explored in The Death of Superman Lives. What Cage liked about Spider-Noir was its detective-story approach. Set in Depression-era New York, the series gave its hero a mystery instead of another routine brawl. It received strong review...