Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films are a masterpiece of adapting comics for the big screen, particularly in the way they make the settings feel alive and real, yet fantastical at the same time. Raimi populated each of his films with unforgettable supporting characters who fleshed out and expanded his interpretation of the Spider-Man universe, giving the films an everyman perspective that sets them apart from all other superhero films. His Spider-Man trilogy features dozens of characters who make an impression with just a single line of dialogue, building their version of New York and making us see and care more about Spider-Man because we’ve gotten to know the people he spends his days protecting – from Mr. Aziz (Peter’s boss at Joe’s Pizza in Spider-Man 2) to the glorified extras played by then-lesser knowns like Joel McHale and Emily Deschanel, Mr. Ditkovitch (albeit in a larger role), and of course every single cameo by Bruce Campbell.
And then there are the villains. A hero is only as good as his opponents, and in the case of Raimi’s Spider-Man films, the antagonists are so good that they were brought back years later for the multiversal mayhem of Spider-Man: No Way Home (where they face off against Tom Holland’s web-slinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). And among them, no one stands above Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, a character so perfect that he was a major villain in two entirely different Spider-Man trilogies. But before Dafoe, there were other actors considered for the role. According to Entertainment Weekly, none other than Oscar winner Nicolas Cage was among those in talks to play Norman Osborn in Raimi’s film.
“He would make a great Green Goblin,” Stan Lee said at the time. But although Cage reportedly spoke to Raimi and his staff about the role, his schedule didn’t allow it.
Nicolas Cage as Green Goblin
Cage has a long history with superhero films. A huge comic book fan, the actor has been involved in many Marvel or DC comic book productions, starting with Tim Burton’s never-made film “Superman Lives” (which would have brought the famous “Death of Superman” comic book storyline to the screen). However, Cage’s first real superhero role on screen came years later in 2007’s “Ghost Rider,” a flop that somehow launched a franchise. “Ghost Rider” follows the titular Marvel antihero with the powers of hell and doesn’t match Raimi’s “Spider-Man” in quality, but it’s still entertaining fun.
After all, Cage got to play Superman twice – as a live-action superhero in his macabre cameo in The Flash (which even Cage was thrown off balance) and as a cartoon character in the fantastic Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. As for Spider-Man, don’t be too upset that Cage missed out on playing the Green Goblin; he’s since gotten to star in the best Spider-Man movie since Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and voice Spider-Man Noir in the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Man Universe. In fact, audiences loved Cage’s Humphrey Bogart-inspired performance in the film so much that he’s now set to return as Spider-Man Noir in a live-action series.
You know what they say: You either die a Marvel villain or you live long enough to play a Marvel superhero on TV someday. And who knows, maybe Cage will play other Marvel characters in the future. (We already have a few suggestions.)
