Nicolas Cage Reveals He Turned Down Green Goblin Role in 2002’s Spider-Man

Nicolas Cage has shared that he once declined the opportunity to portray one of Spider-Man’s iconic villains, the Green Goblin, in Sam Raimi’s 2002 film ‘Spider-Man.’

In an interview with PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of his new series ‘Spider-Noir,’ Cage revealed that he did have discussions about the role with director Sam Raimi. Ultimately, he opted for a different project instead.

Cage explained that his decision was influenced by timing and other creative ventures that piqued his interest at that moment. The role of Norman Osborn eventually went to Willem Dafoe, whose portrayal became one of the most memorable villain performances in superhero film history.

“For me, that was the right choice at the time,” Cage reflected on his decision to turn down the role.

During that same period, Cage chose to star in ‘Adaptation,’ directed by Spike Jonze, which also featured Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, and Tilda Swinton.

Despite passing on the Green Goblin role, Cage emphasized that he has never limited himself to one type of character throughout his career. He enjoys both heroic and villainous roles and prefers to explore various types of performances.

“I’ve played plenty of villains. I like both,” he said. “I think they’re both important parts of cinema. I would not want to get trapped into doing one thing.”

Now, more than two decades later, Cage is officially part of the Spider-Man universe. He stars in the upcoming Prime Video series ‘Spider-Noir,’ where he plays Ben Reilly, an older private investigator version of the character set in 1930s New York City.

This role also connects back to his earlier work in animation, where he voiced a version of the character in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’

At the premiere, Cage mentioned that he approached the role by blending old Hollywood inspiration with the comic book world, citing actors like James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Edward G. Robinson as influences for his performance.

‘Spider-Noir’ is set to premiere on Prime Video on May 27 and will be available in both black-and-white and color versions.

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