Nicolas Cage Won’t Work With Amazon Again After Refusing to Sign AI Waiver for Spider-Noir
Nicolas Cage said during a New York Comic Con panel on Saturday, October 10, that he probably won’t work with Amazon again, tying the falling out directly to the studio’s embrace of artificial intelligence. The Oscar winner revealed he refused to sign a waiver that would have let Amazon use AI on Spider-Noir, the Prime Video series where he played Ben Reilly, the trench-coated vigilante known as The Spider.
“Connect Those Dots”
Cage didn’t hold back about why he’s stepping away from the studio. “Amazon is a very AI-friendly company, to the tune of $50 billion invested in OpenAI,” he told the crowd, before adding, “I am not an AI-friendly actor, so it’s like, connect those dots!” He was just as direct about the waiver itself, saying plainly, “I didn’t sign the waiver to let them use AI on ‘Spider-Noir.'”
Nicolas Cage played Ben Reilly, the trench-coated vigilante known as The Spider, across Spider-Noir’s single season on Prime Video.
A Show Amazon Canceled Despite 11 Emmy Nods
The AI dispute lands against the backdrop of a messy ending for Spider-Noir. The black and white superhero noir, Cage’s first regular television role after decades almost exclusively in film, earned 11 Emmy nominations this past July, the most of any Prime Video series this year. Amazon canceled the show anyway in early September, and just days after the axe fell, Spider-Noir still went on to win five Creative Arts Emmys, a showing that only sharpened criticism of the cancellation. The series had pulled in 2.6 billion minutes viewed in its first six weeks on the platform and held a 92% critics score and 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, numbers that make the one-and-done ending sting even more for fans.
“I’m probably not going to be working with that studio again, but that’s okay,” Cage said of the split, sounding more at peace with the ending than frustrated by it.
What’s Next for Cage
Cage used the panel to look ahead rather than dwell on the fallout. He said he wants to work more with Gen Z filmmakers, pointing to Backrooms director Kane Parsons as an example: “I got to get with these young directors who are Gen Z.” He also hinted at interest in joining HBO’s long running anthology series True Detective, a role that’s been rumored for Cage for over a year and widely tied to a potential Season 5, though he stopped short of confirming any deal, and HBO has not commented.
Keep the adventure going! Check out more Movies & Shows News on Gamersuniverse.
Picture Source: Amazon
