Spider-Man may be one of my favorite Marvel superheroes, however, I do not consider myself a superfan. I just know the basics of the character and his best movies. Nonetheless, I am a dedicated enough fan that I became excited about the idea of meeting a new version in Spider-Noir.

I only truly know about his existence because of the Into the Spider-Verse movies. The character stood out, so my curiosity made me wonder what Nicolas Cage would bring to this role. I enjoyed watching him as Ben Reilly, but the Spider-Noir villains really captured my attention.

Warning: Spider-Noir spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

Spider-Noir's Villains Have A Fascinating Origin Story That I Couldn't Stop Thinking About

Spider-Noir has a lot of mystery surrounding it. The first four episodes of Season 1 basically work as an introduction to Ben and this world. Spider-Noir Season 1 Episode 5, “Betrayal,” and Spider-Noir Season 1 Episode 6, “Nightmare on a Gurney,” dig into the origins of the birth of The Spider.

We were excited to learn that Ben would be Spider-Noir, not Peter Parker, because it meant Cage wouldn't have to emulate other Parker performances. The producers made a great decision because Cage brings his own flair and charm. His origin story was also a bit more fascinating than some of the other Spider-Man origins.

He was a victim of the war. Ben became The Spider by trying to save other soldiers. He accidentally got bitten by an infected man. It’s a variation of the old tale of Peter being bitten by a radioactive spider.

The war also made these men villains. Flint, aka Sandman (Jack Huston), Dirk, aka Megawatt (Andrew Lewis Caldwell), and Lonnie, aka Tombstone (Abraham Popoola), all received their powers because of experimentation during World War I. By giving them this backstory, it adds some commentary about wars.

All these men fought for their country and survived the war, but returned scarred, broken, and suffering. They become “monsters.” This seems to be Spider-Noir’s statement against war and how it uses these defenseless men, only to break them, sometimes beyond repair.

Superhero shows and movies often have deeper commentary than surface-level action, but this really stood out to me. I thought the show did a great job conveying this message without having to knock people over the head with it. We understand what the show was saying by having these men victims of experimentation by a corrupt government and system. Instead of being rewarded for their bravery, they were punished for it by becoming lab rats, who eventually had to become villains.

Cat And Flint's Love Story Was More Appealing Than Expected

Many of the best superhero movies explore love stories. The hero has one major love interest throughout their movies, or many love interests. However, until WandaVision, I wasn’t really invested in any of the Marvel love stories. Therefore, I wasn’t expecting to like Flint and Cat Hardy's (Li Jun Li) love story as much as I did. It wasn’t anything extraordinary. We have seen stories of the kept woman falling for the man tasked with watching over her before. Maybe it was simply Li and Huston’s chemistry that sucked me in.

Cat and Flint’s storyline proved that you don’t have to create a completely new concept of a love story to work. It just has to be compelling enough. I was on the edge of my seat, worried about whether they would end up together or not. Spider-Noir creates a love triangle with Cat, Ben, and Flint.

I immediately wondered if she was genuinely interested in Ben or using him. Thankfully, she was using him. They just didn’t work the way Flint and Cat did. I am sure Ben will have a long-term love interest eventually, if the show continues beyond the first season. This is one of the rare occasions where I am happy that the villain got the girl. Cat and Flint seem like soulmates. They understand each other like no one else.

One of the lines that stood out the most from Spider-Noir was when Cat said anyone could love her when she’s great. Flint loved her when she was at her most difficult. And isn’t that what everyone wants: someone who loves them at their worst?

Every Spider-Noir Season 1 Villain Feels Layered And Complex, Even If Not The Show's Main Focus

The Spider-Noir villains varied in their screentime. Flint and Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) were the main villains. They took up most of the villain stories, but Dirk and Lonnie also had some fascinating plotlines. Dirk was shown the least. We didn’t really get to know him. He was just the typical, beyond being controlled, bad guy.

However, his love of the theater made him creepy but also intriguing. I wanted to know more about those dreams and what fully turned him into this person. We didn’t learn enough about him, but there were enough breadcrumbs to let us wonder who he was before all this supervillain mess. Maybe he was even another supervillain with justifiable motives. I doubt it, but maybe there is a chance.

Lonnie was the reluctant villain. He didn’t want to be one, but it was the only way to climb out of poverty. This made him the most sympathetic villain. Because he never fully leaned into that role, but did it out of necessity. Each of the Spider-Noir villains wasn’t treated as 1-dimensional bad guys. They had something that made them more human and layered.

The TV Show Really Felt Grounded In The Period Because Of Silvermane’s Mafia Boss Ties

I had never heard of Silvermane, but I was glad to see him as the main Spider-Noir evildoer. He wasn’t the scariest mobster, but you knew he wasn’t someone to mess with because of how much fear others had towards him. Mobster characters are always a bit scary because they are rooted in real-life.

We also naturally associate the mob with the 1920s through the 1950s. Therefore, it’s easy to get sucked into the time. Spider-Noir also makes it easy with the war elements, the costumes, and tributes to some of the best noir movies.

Lonnie And Robbie's Bond Added Some Racial Commentary That I Appreciated

Lonnie and Robbie (Lamorne Morris) instantly bond because there is an unspoken understanding as two Black men at a time when things are even harder for them. They even speak about this a bit when they first meet.

A lot of TV shows and movies now imagine a world without racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Some viewers don’t want to be reminded of the past or that injustices are still happening. I appreciate that Spider-Noir didn’t make it seem like Lonnie and Robbie felt treated like equals compared to their white counterparts. Lonnie went through a lot as one of the few Black people in his unit. It also isn’t easy for Robbie as a reporter. Spider-Noir doesn’t dwell on the prejudices that they face, but you feel it in the undertones.

That’s why it made their bond feel natural, real, and cathartic. Sometimes you can bond with people based on shared pain. Spider-Noir was one of the highly anticipated upcoming Spider-Man shows, and it doesn’t disappoint. Watch it through your Prime Video subscription.

Stream Spider-Noir on Prime Video.

While comic book projects are commonplace nowadays, there are some that stand out within the genre. Spider-Noir is definitely a unique one, and is available to stream in its entirety with an Amazon Prime subscription. The movie stars Nicolas Cage, reprising the role he voiced in Into The Spider-Verse. And the show's creator/showrunner Oren Uziel spoke to CinemaBlend about how a crew member's shaky hand helped them find a way to bring Ben Reilly's Spider-Sense to life.

Spider-Sense has been adapted for film various times over the years, so Uziel and company needed to find out a way to bring it to life in Spider-Noir. As you can see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with the showrunner head of the show's release, where he revealed the surprising way that Nicolas Cage's version of the ability came together. He set up the story with:

The trailer for Spider-Noir debuted a unique visual language, including the way the title character's Spider-Sense works. As you can see in the show, the ability is ambiguous and borderline painful for Cage's Ben Reilly, shown visually with a shaky camera that highlights how disorienting it is. But the way it came together on set was accidental.

Spider-Noir doesn't focus on Peter Parker, instead putting the spotlight on an older grizzled version of the hero called The Spider. Oren Uziel revealed how one shaky hand resulted in them finding a way to bring Ben's Spider-Sense to the screen. As he told me:

Accident or not, the folks behind Spider-Noir really succeeded in bringing a new take on the Spider-Sense to the small screen. When we meet Nicolas Cage's character he'd mostly retired as a vigilante, and his abilities are a bit rusty. And whenever his body warns him of danger, it's both painful and confusing. In our conversation, Uziel went on to share why this was important to the story:

This definitely isn't the version of Spider-Man that most audiences know. Spider-Noir's protagonist being older and more broken down is just one way why the new Prime Video series stands out amongst its peers. And audiences seem to be responding to this new take on the wall crawler, as it's currently #1 on the streaming service.

Spider-Noir is streaming in its entirety on Prime Video as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see if its gets renewed for a second season. Fingers (and webs) crossed.

If I were to ask someone to name two of the biggest movie stars of all time, Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage’s names would probably come up. So, it doesn’t surprise me that their paths might have crossed over the years. However, I just learned that Cage was directly involved in Depp’s rise to fame, and I’m absolutely shook.

Somehow, Cage and Depp never starred in the same movie together, but they were briefly roommates back in the 1980s when the Pirates of the Caribbean star was fresh to Hollywood. Here’s how Cage tells it:

He’s talking about 1983, when Johnny Depp was 20 years old and decided to move to Los Angeles from Florida to pursue a record deal with his band. Cage must have been around 19 then, but since he was born in the Coppola family, he already had some connections in the movie industry and had just been in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Cage told this story about him and Depp to Variety while promoting his project on the 2026 TV schedule, Spider-Noir, which is now streaming for those with a Prime Video subscription. In a previous interview with The New York Times Magazine, he said his agent ended up sending Johnny Depp to his first audition, which was for Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Depp got the part that day, and thus his long-running career was born. Cage and Depp have also reportedly remained friends over the years.

When Johnny Depp first started acting, he apparently thought of it as “a good way to pay rent for a minute," per Paper Magazine, but considering the breakneck speed at which he saw success as an actor, it’s no wonder he stuck with it. Previously, Cage said he “can't really take credit” for jumpstarting Depp’s career since it was “just one small step in his whole career”, but you can certainly argue he was instrumental in the Edward Scissorhands actor getting into the industry.

These days, Johnny Depp has been slowly bouncing back to acting after a very public legal battle with his ex Amber Heard. He’ll star as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ti West’s A Christmas Carol movie, which is on the 2026 movie schedule for this holiday season.

Anyways, I didn’t see this story coming, but leave it up to Nicolas Cage to casually drop some remarkable lore like this.

It's no secrets that comic book projects are everywhere. But those with an Amazon Prime subscription are going to be treated to something wholly unique when Spider-Noir arrives on May 27th. Nicolas Cage is reprising the role he voiced in Into the Spider-Verse, and audiences will be given the option of watching the live-action series either in black and white or color. And the showrunner and the cast spoke to CinemaBlend about which way folks should stream the new show.

The trailer for Spider-Noir was in black and white, but we've also been treated to clips that show off the bright colors of the other version. Nic Cage has had spiders IRL, and he's putting all of his charisma into his role. As you can see in the video above, I spoke with showrunner/creator Oren Uziel about the new series, where I asked him which version folks should stream on Amazon. He told me:

The man behind Spider-Noir has spoken. And while he thinks the black and white version of the show is more accurate to his vision for the series, watching the show in color offers a very different perspective. Because in order to film B&W, the production design needs to actually create extremely colorful costumes, sets, and more. So pivoting between black and white and color will allow audiences to see just how much work went into the Amazon series.

On top of not focusing on Peter Parker, Spider-Noir's visual language sets it apart from other Spider-Man adaptation. New Girl actor Lamorne Morris is playing reporter Robbie Roberston, and also seems to think that fans should watch both version of the series. As he told me:

When watching Spider-Noir early ahead of my interviews, I personally pivoted between color and black and white every episode. And the fact that the show works so well both ways is a testament to the hard work done behind the camera on its cinematography, production design, and more. Although there is something especially effective about the black and white version, especially the way lighting functions.

Fans will get to decide for themselves when Spider-Noir hits the small screen in its entirety on May 27th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see which version folks prefer.

Nicolas Cage starring as Ben Reilly in the 2026 streaming calendar release Spider-Noir already feels like one of those casting choices too strange to be real. But after Cage's voice work in Into the Spider-Verse, it feels like this was whispered into existence by a haunted fedora. OK, fine, by fans. Cage, Spider-Man mythology, 1930s New York, private-eye gloom and a black-and-white presentation? That is a very specific little genre cocktail and, somehow, it makes perfect sense. But then he started talking about actual spiders, and that's when I personally began looking for the nearest rolled-up newspaper.

In a recent interview with The New York Times tied to the upcoming Spider-Man project, Cage discussed the new series and his fascination with old Hollywood performance styles. Also, because this is Nicolas Cage, he even shared thoughts on the spider he found especially interesting. When addressing whether he's own arachnids himself, he said:

Nope. Absolutely not. I support science, curiosity and the famously eccentric actor being his authentic self, but a spider that can basically play a tiny murder instrument on its web to lure specific bugs is where I have to say, ‘That’s a no from me, dawg.”

The Portia spider tangent is "so" the Rock star, though, and I mean that as a compliment. This is the same interview in which he connects Spider-Noir to Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, old black-and-white cinema, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney and the idea of using TV as a mass medium to get younger viewers interested in earlier film art. The Face/Off star described the show as a “crazy Lichtenstein collision,” which is exactly the kind of thing I want a Nicolas Cage Spider-Man project to be.

Nicolas Cage Seems To Be Taking The Spider Part Seriously

That is what makes the Portia spider detail so funny and oddly fitting. The National Treasure actor is not just showing up to play “Spider-Man, but noir.” He seems genuinely interested in the project's visual style, the genre history, the physicality, the comic-book roots and apparently the real-world arachnids that make me want to turn every shoe in my house upside down. Just in case.

In the page-to-screen adaptation of the comic book of the same name, Spider-Noir follows the Moonstruck alum as he plays Ben Reilly, a hard-boiled private investigator in 1930s New York who also happens to be a web-slinging superhero. The series is Cage's first major move into television, and it will be available in both color and black-and-white. Per the actor, he hopes the black-and-white version might push younger viewers toward older movies and the actors who helped define that style.

That actually tracks with how the Oscar-winning performer has talked about his career for years. He is always pulling from unexpected places: silent film, German expressionism, pop art, comics, music, whatever strange little signal happens to be crackling through the artistic radio that day. So, sure, why wouldn’t his Spider-Man research include a creepy genius spider that tricks prey with web vibrations?

Still, I need boundaries. I can handle the Con Air lead channeling Bogart. I can handle him going full noir detective in a Marvel-adjacent world. I can handle black-and-white superhero television that sounds like it wandered out of a smoky comic strip, but an intelligent spider that knows what tune to “play” for different victims? No, thank you. You can keep that to yourself, Mr. Cage.

Spider-Noir premieres in the United States on MGM+ on May 25, and it'll drop for Prime Video subscription holders globally on May 27. I will be watching, probably in black and white, and absolutely pretending the Portia spider stayed out of the writers’ room.

Do you KNOW about the 2009 sci-fi disaster movie, Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage? (Don’t mind me. I’m just getting my Dad jokes in for the day.) If not, I don’t blame you, because it’s neither Nic Cage’s best movie nor his worst.

When I think about the film, I put it more in that category (disaster films) rather than in one of my other favorite subgenres - movies where Nicolas Cage goes bananas. Because Knowing isn’t that kind of film, which is why I think a lot of people might have either forgotten about it, or haven’t even seen it.

This is a shame, because Knowing is a really interesting film for several reasons. Here are just a few.

Yes, there are spoilers ahead!

First Off, It’s Another Awesome Movie From The Director Of Dark City And The Crow

As a cineast, I’m always fascinated by the auteur. My favorite is Stanley Kubrick, but I’m also a devout viewer of Scorsese, Tarantino, and, quite recently, Nia DaCosta. Now, when I say I’m a devout viewer, I mean I’ll watch their entire filmography, with some of these being harder than others.

For example, Paul Thomas Anderson hasn’t been too difficult since he’s only directed ten feature-length films. Hitchcock has been a struggle, though, since he did somewhere in the range of 50 movies (though I am getting through them). Well, Australian director Alex Proyas is a perfect director to start with since he’s made a respectable 7 movies thus far, starting with 1989’s interesting sci-fi film Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds.

Proyas’ next film would be the one that would make him a household name: The Crow, which was followed by 1998’s hidden gem, Dark City, which is still referenced when it comes to intelligent science fiction. 2002’s Garage Days was a fascinating departure since it was a comedy-drama, and then we got what was probably Proyas’ biggest film, I, Robot, starring Will Smith.

At this point, Proyas mostly made a home for himself in the realm of sci-fi, which is why 2009’s Knowing felt like a natural progression. His most recent movie, 2016’s Gods of Egypt, wasn’t sci-fi…and also wasn’t very good. But, he’s apparently going back to the genre with an adaptation of the Czech play, R.U.R. All of this is to say that Proyas is a great sci-fi director, which really comes in handy with a movie like Knowing.

The Plot Is All Sorts Of Creepy

I know you’ve heard of Nostradamus, but have you ever heard of Baba Vanga? She was a blind clairvoyant, and some of her predictions apparently came true, such as 9/11, and Covid-19 (This year, she predicts World War III, and alien contact, so, um, look forward to that?). Anyway, the reason I bring her up is that in this movie, there’s sort of somebody similar.

In 1959, a little girl named Lucinda writes a paper full of ostensibly random numbers that is to be put into a time capsule. Lucinda hears whispers, and before she can put the final numbers on the paper, it’s taken away and put inside the capsule. Flash forward 50 years, and the capsule is opened. The paper is given to a little boy, and his dad, John (Nicolas Cage), who’s an MIT astrophysicist, sees it.

John studies the paper and realizes that the numbers represent locations, fatalities, and dates, which foretold events like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 (Just like Baba Vanga!). Well, there are more numbers on the paper, and they seem to foretell the future, which is when we get some of the disasters that I’ll mention in the next entry.

It’s all really creepy stuff, and I wish more disaster movies had an element of horror to them. It really works here.

The Disasters In This Movie Are Actually Horrific

Disaster movies aren’t usually all that scary. I mean, they’re big and bombastic, like San Andreas and 2012, but I wouldn’t say that most end-of-the-world scenarios put on film are really as dire or as distressing as one would think. I feel a main reason for this is that these films are usually centered around specific characters who keep avoiding near-death experiences as the world collapses.

This might be why I’m usually not a fan of the genre. However, what makes Knowing different is that it truly does make these events terrifying, almost in a Final Destination sort of way. Take, for example, the plane crash scene, which is the first major disaster in the movie. Sure, it’s not one of the best plane crashes in film I’ve ever seen, such as the one in The Grey, but that’s only because Nicolas Cage’s character is not physically ON the plane.

That said, the sight of the plane crashing is truly horrific, as it doesn’t turn away from the disaster. Or, what about the train crash scene, which is also quite terrifying? I never really even thought about a train derailment until I watched this movie, and this scene alone makes me a bit queasy to get on subways now.

Knowing is a disaster movie done right, and I wish more people were aware of this film, because I feel like barely anybody talks about it.

It’s Nice To See Nic Cage Just Playing A Normal Dude

I know a lot of people who say, “Nic Cage can’t act” (It’s like they’ve never seen Leaving Las Vegas before), and the thing is, that’s not true in the slightest. Nic Cage is a phenomenal actor. It’s just that he really, REALLY loves to play weirdos. For a lot of people, outside of movies like National Treasure, Nic Cage ONLY plays weirdos. However, there are occasionally films where Nic Cage just plays regular dudes, and Knowing is one such film.

Playing an MIT astrophysicist professor in this movie, Cage feels more like a regular guy (A regular guy with a PhD, that is) who is just in a very strange situation. When he gets the numbers and puts two and two together, that they represent facts and figures, it puts him on a quest to try to put a stop to fate, which is overall impossible. Throughout the film, he learns about extraterrestrial beings that whisper, and he laments that he can’t hear them.

Throughout the film, his character is just a guy trying to make sense of the world around him, and it’s nice to see Nic Cage just play a normal dude.

This is a disaster movie after all, and the main attraction is the plot itself, not the actor. That said, it’s better with Cage in it, since he plays a believable genius. It’s good stuff.

In The End, Knowing Is One Of The Better Disaster Movies That You May Not Know About

Is Knowing a perfect movie? No. In fact, the ending is kind of ridiculous, and probably the worst thing about the film. That said, up to that point, it’s a really good disaster flick, and one I don’t hear about nearly enough.

It’s a Nic Cage movie (With Rose Byrne! I forgot to mention Rose Byrne!), but not a popular one. It’s an Alex Proyas film, but not Dark City, and it’s a disaster movie, but more sci-fi than anything else.

But, in the end, it’s just a good movie overall (even though the critics didn’t love it), and it’s definitely worth a watch if you like the genre or the actors.

Disney is home to some of the biggest film franchises that the world has ever seen, but sometimes making new entries, even in very successful franchises, can be a tall order. Disney still hasn’t found a script it's happy with for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but we know that work is continually being done on that. It turns out the same is true of a potential National Treasure 3.

National Treasure, starring Nicolas Cage, was a solid hit that spawned one sequel, Book of Shadows, which in turn teased a sequel of its own, though it’s one that has not materialized in the nearly 20 years since that film was released. There has been on again off again talk about a third entry over the years. Most recently, in 2024, producer Jerry Bruckheimer indicated a new film was on the drawing board, though it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about it.

Jerry Bruckheimer Says National Treasure 3 Is "Coming Along"

Fans can get at least a little excited, however, as Bruckheimer recently spoke with The Direct, where he indicated that National Treasure 3 is still “coming along quite well” and that they were still actively "working on the script for it." While that certainly doesn't give us any reason to expect that the movie will happen anytime soon, there is clearly still hope that it will happen eventually.

This is in sharp relief to comments Nicolas Cage made a couple of years ago, where he seemingly removed all hope that National Treasure 3 would happen. There is still hope that if a sequel did happen, Cage would be back. Franchise director Jon Turtletaub seems confident that if the movie happens, the star would return.

Attempts To Continue The Franchise Without Nicolas Cage Were Not Successful

And Cage’s return will likely be key to a National Treasure 3 happening at all. The only new franchise entry we’ve seen since the second movie was the series National Treasure: Edge of History (available with a Disney+ subscription). Cage did not appear, and the series was cancelled after one season. While there’s certainly no guarantee those two things were related, it’s difficult not to make such a connection.

Last we heard, Ted Elliott, who is also attached to the in-progress Pirates of the Caribbean 6 script, was the one handling the new National Treasure movie as well. Maybe this is why both movies have taken so long if one person is trying to put them both together at the same time.

Considering how many recent movies have seen sequels come out decades after the original, and sometimes to great success, there’s no reason to assume National Treasure 3 won’t be great, assuming it actually happens.

Fans of superheroes whose powers tie back to arachnids are going to have a great year, with two upcoming Marvel movies set to bring Spider-Man out to play, and that's not all. While Brand New Day aims to be different from the previous Tom Holland-starring MCU films, Prime Video's Spider-Noir sounds like a live-action Spidey adventure different from anything we've seen before. And it's somehow also unlike anything star Nicolas Cage has done before.

A sizeable smattering of new Spider-Noir details and images finally surfaced, indicating the new show is hitting the 2026 TV schedule sooner rather than later. My excitement for the show has been at peak-level for a while, but while that was based largely on my own imagined ideals before, now I have actual reasons! After so many years of live-action Peter Parker stories, this Spider-Verse spinoff aleady feels like a standout treat.

Nicolas Cage Goes All In On The Noir Aesthetic, Down To His Hero Name

The comic book character Ben Reilly was first introduced as a Peter Parker clone, but it sounds like the origin story will go a little differently for Nicolas Cage's iteration, whose hero moniker is The Spider, similar to other plainly named golden-age heroes such as The Shadow and The Phantom. He's a private eye, and as executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller put it to Esquire, he's closer to the end of his rope than the beginning, and isn't the dashing P.I. that the noir genre often brings to mind.

As far as his performance goes, Cage described it in possibly the least predictable way one could describe playing any version of Spider-Man:

I’m pretty confident that everyone else reading this can also more easily envision Cage as Bugs Bunny rather than Humphrey Bogart. He definitely has the same deep eyes and command of a scene as Bogey, but so many of his roles slot more with Looney Tunes than Casablanca. But that balance sounds peachy keen to me, schweetheart.

Phil Lord described Cage's approach in a way that, I kid you not, sounds even more unpredictable and singular than the Bogey Bunny description. As he put it:

Just in case anyone expected to see Nic Cage in this show, we'll actually be getting a spider presenting as the Oscar winner, who is then portraying a character himself. The layers on this thing go all the way to the top, man!

Speaking to his current lot in life, Lord and Miller namecheck the all-timer classic Chinatown as an example of where Ben's career might have been many years prior, saying:

• MILLER: This character's very different from the Peter Parker from the movies. He's older and jaded, and not afraid to punch a guy in the face drunkenly.
• LORD: He already had his Chinatown disillusionment moment that happened years and years ago.

For all that I could just watch Cage populating a P.I. office without any plotting, showrunner Oren Uziel shares how Ben's story will butt up against that of Spider-Noir's central villain, as portrayed by the always amazing Brendan Gleeson. As he put it:

Is it weird to start hoping for The Spider to run into Dick Tracy somewhere on the streets? Probably, but I'll still do it anyway.

Spider-Noir Will Stream Both In Color And Black-And-White

As if everything else wasn't enticing enough, one of the biggest draws of the show from a visual sense is the plan for Spider-Noir to stream in two different formats: a saturated full-color version and a stark black-and-white version that speaks to the films and TV shows of the era. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing, and it's apparently for nerds like me that the creative team wanted to try some things out. According to Cage, there is no preferred version, as both are excellent. In his words:

If anything, I'm hoping this show sparks a full-on noir trend, both with superhero projects and other realms of fiction. We need Batman: Gotham by Gaslight in live-action for real for real.

Join me in finding out just how over the top Spider-Noir is when it drops at some point later in 2026 via Prime Video subscription.

This spring on the 2026 TV schedule, Marvel fans will meet another live-action incarnation of Spider-Man… sort of. Nicholas Cage is starring as the titular hero in the upcoming MGM+ series Spider-Noir, with this being his second go-around as Spider-Man Noir after voicing him in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. However, this time around, the character has the secret identity of Ben Reilly rather than Peter Parker, and the Spider-Noir producers explained the reasons why they went with this change.

Actually, that’s not the only name change this series is delivering, as it was revealed by Esquire that Ben Reilly’s masked persona will instead be The Spider, the same moniker of an unrelated pulp fiction character. As far as why it was necessary to tweak Nicholas Cage’s character in these ways, Spider-Noir developer and co-showrunner Oren Uziel explained that it stems from the noir genre itself, which explores the darker sides of humanity. As such, it was felt that Cage’s protagonist couldn’t be an optimist like Peter Parker, with Uziel saying:

In the comics, Ben Reilly is a clone of Peter Parker who’s also known as Scarlet Spider and even on the Spider-Man mantle during the ‘90s. Barring some surprise, Frankenstein-like twist, that clone background is obviously not being retained for Spider-Noir. Instead, the show’s team felt that Ben Reilly could be more easily molded into the type of character they wanted to depict, with executive producer Phil Lord adding:

The Chinatown comparison is apt, as Nicholas Cage’s Ben Reilly is a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York City who used to fight crime as The Spider. What caused him to retire from the vigilante life, as well as what brings him back to it, are still being kept secret. Overall though, Ben is described in the Esquire profile as a “guy whose hero complex has collapsed into a mid-life crisis.” As Oren Uziel put it:

In addition to these real life practical reasons for having Spider-Noir feature Ben Reilly instead of Peter Parker, Phil Lord also mentioned that the identity switch-up will also be addressed within the show itself:

Given the time period and how Ben Reilly has seen things that have clearly impacted his mental health, I wonder if he was not only a World War I veteran, but also changed his identity from Peter Parker to Ben during or shortly after the war. Similar to how Mad Men’s Dick Whitman assumed the life of Don Draper when the real man was killed during the Korean War, perhaps Ben experienced something that forced him to cut ties from his old life. So technically that would still make him Peter, but Spider-Noir allows him to embark down a much different kind of path as Ben.

Whatever the secrets of his past hold, Ben Reilly will have a lot to deal with during Spider-Noir’s main story. That includes fighting villains like New York crime boss Silvermane, played by Brendan Gleeson, and his bodyguard Flint Marko, played by Jack Huston. Some of the more friendly faces in Ben’s life include Lamorne Morris’ Robbie Robertson and Karen Rodriguez’s Janet, while Li Jun Li’s Cat Hardy is filling the femme fatale role. In addition to being on MGM+, Spider-Noir will also be available to watch with a Prime Video subscription.

There are a lot of actors and actresses in Hollywood, but there's only one Nicolas Cage. Whether he's in an Oscar-winning classic or a low-budget direct-to-video movie, he's going to bring 100% energy to the role and make it memorable. Sometimes his greatest performances fly well under the radar, and I believe that happened in this past year.

I stumbled upon a wild clip from Gunslingers on TikTok, and as luck would have it, it's currently streaming with a Netflix subscription. For readers who are fans of moments in film where Nic Cage goes bananas, this is a movie to see as soon as possible.

What Is Gunslingers About?

Gunslingers actually stars Stephen Dorff, who plays a man named Thomas who's on the run after seemingly killing a Rockefeller in New York City. He settles down in a town called "Redemption," where many reformed criminals go in an attempt to live a reformed life. They do this with the help of photographer Ben (Cage), who photographs fake hangings and burials to throw any would-be bounty hunters off their trail.

Obviously, there wouldn't be much of a movie if that plan worked 100% of the time, and eventually, Thomas has to worry about his family when some bounty hunters come to town. I can't promise there's action or story on par with some of the best Western movies of all time, but there is something this movie has that they don't.

Why Nic Cage Is Fantastic In Gunslingers

The most entertaining part of this movie by far is Nic Cage's character, Ben, for which he has made two distinct choices that immediately stick out to me, and presumably anyone else who has watched Gunslingers. The first is the clearly-modern cross-shaped pair of sunglasses he's wearing throughout the movie that don't remotely resemble any fashion from the Old West or early 1900s. They do look cool, however, which is why I assume that Ben is rocking them in the movie.

The second choice would be Ben's voice, which I can only describe is the same tone and pitch someone would have if they blew out their voice from screaming the evening before and had to push through to speak anyway. At its most animated, it sounds similar to James Brown's scream in one of his songs. At its more subdued, it's occasionally unintelligible.

While I can't promise that Gunslingers changes the Western genre in any way, I can promise that those who watch will be enthralled by how Nic Cage brings life to Ben, and I suspect ad-libs at various points in the movie. I thought watching the actor play an exaggerated version of himself was my favorite performance from him, but I think this one is a contender.

Readers may think I'm being facetious, and that's only partly true. While it is funny to see Cage act over-the-top in a movie that wouldn't be all that notable otherwise, I will always applaud his ability to be unafraid and committed to the decisions he makes in movies. He's fearless in that regard, and it sets him apart from all others in Hollywood.

Check out Gunslingers, or some of the upcoming movies on Netflix over the coming months. There are also a few other great Nic Cage movies over there worth checking out as well, so get to it!

It was a big deal when The Avengers came out in 2012, because while there had been superhero team movies released before, like X-Men and Fantastic Four, this was the first time that individual superheroes who’d either led their own movies or debuted elsewhere came together for a crossover event. But what if The Avengers had been a TV show released in the late 1980s instead? I know, that’s a drastic pivot, but someone used AI to dream up what such a project might look like, and I’m especially impressed with how Phoebe Cates, Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage were cast.

Shared on X by @VideoChannel134, this video presents the opening credits for a 1989-set Avengers TV show, complete with ‘80s synth pop-style music. Check it out!

Let’s table the fact that this TV show would be coming out at a time when film stars usually steered clear of leading TV shows, and just assume that all these actors would be game to star in The Avengers on the small screen. Tom Cruise as Tony Stark, Phoebe Cates as Natasha Romanoff and Nicolas Cage as Loki are some stellar choices, particularly Cage. If he brought the same kind of energy we see from him in some of his more manic roles, like Castor Troy/Sean Archer in Face/Off, then his version of the God of Mischief would truly be unsettling, yet still entertaining to watch.

Once again, here’s the full lineup of talent for AI-envisioned Avengers TV show that’s, ahem, assembled:

• Tom Cruise as Iron Man
• Brad Pitt as Captain America
• Dolph Lundgren as Thor
• Phoebe Cates as Black Widow
• Denzel Washington as Black Panther
• Kurt Russell as The Winter Soldier
• River Phoenix as Spider-Man
• Arnold Schwarzenegger as Hulk
• Demi Moore as Scarlet Witch
• Nicolas Cage as Loki
• Charlie Sheen as Doctor Strange
• Eddie Murphy as War Machine
• Emilio Estevez as Hawkeye
• Robert De Niro as Thanos

I won’t go so far as to say all of these castings work, as I’m having trouble envisioning Charlie Sheen as Doctor Strange and Robert De Niro as Thanos working properly. But overall, this is a fun ‘what if’ scenario (like if Christopher Nolan directed the Avengers movie) that works under the assumption that audiences in 1989 would be game to see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes come together week after week in the comfort of their own home. Of course, the special effects obviously wouldn’t have been as good given both the time period and this being a TV production, but in a way, that adds to the charm.

As far as real life goes, we’re now just a little under a year away from the release of the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday. In addition to established characters like Captain America (Sam Wilson), Black Panther (Shuri), Thor and Ant-Man returning, we’ll also reunite with the New Avengers (previously known as the Thunderbolts), the Fantastic Four introduced in First Steps last year, and an incarnation of the X-Men played by actors from the superhero property’s Fox era. They’ll band together to battle Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in a story that will continue in 2027 with Avengers: Secret Wars.

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18, but before that, the MCU will continue expanding this year with the likes of Wonder Man, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, the Jon Bernthal-led Punisher special, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and VisionQuest. If you need to get reacquainted with any specific kind of MCU lore before these projects arrive, break out your Disney+ subscription and stream away.

It’s no secret that Nicolas Cage has had a very public love life over the years. From getting married in Las Vegas to opening up about dating Sarah Jessica Parker, the Academy Award-winning actor has been in the public eye a lot. Have you heard about throwing a $65,000 engagement ring off a yacht after getting in a fight with the daughter of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll?”

Well, that’s what happened, according to Priscilla Presley in her 2025 memoir Softly as I Leave You: Life After Elvis. In her new book, Elvis’ former wife opened up about the time Cage and Lisa Marie Presley got into a heated argument during their tumultuous relationship that resulted in a scene that played out like one of Cage's more ridiculous movies.

Those of us who were around and followed tabloids in the early 2000s remember the intense on-and-off relationship between the Hollywood star and his famous fiancée, not to mention their eventual celebrity breakup. Regardless, this particular story is new to me, and it’s blowing my mind. So, after reading about this fight that resulted in a ring that cost more than most people’s annual salary going to the bottom of the ocean, I just have to know what happened next.

As Presley put it, Cage regretted his decision and went to great lengths in an attempt to find the missing hardware. He even went as far as to hire a team of divers to search the area off the California coast, but the searches turned up nothing. Presley added:

Though the $65,000 six-carat ring was never seen again, Cage didn’t waste any time at all obtaining a replacement. A couple of days later, he not only bought Lisa Marie Presley a new ring, but he also got her an even bigger ring, this one having a ten-carat diamond.

The couple would eventually get married, but the relationship wasn’t meant to be, and they went their separate ways after a 2004 divorce. When looking back on the episode, Presley made it seem like it best illustrated her daughter and former son-in-law’s testy relationship:

The couple went their separate ways, with Cage getting married three more times after their split, and Presley tying the knot a couple of years after their divorce.

Though it seemed like the pair had a heated and testy relationship, it didn’t stop the National Treasure actor from paying tribute to his ex following Presley’s death in 2023.

Nicolas Cage's best movies have allowed him to work alongside some of the greatest actors in the business. Sean Penn. Meryl Streep. Willem Dafoe. Holly Hunter. John Malkovich. Nicole Kidman. Ed Harris. Tilda Swinton. He even worked alongside Cher as she was delivering her Oscar-winning turn in 1987’s Moonstruck. The man has collaborated with generational performers… but if you were to ask him, none of them earn the title of “best actor he’s ever worked with.” Instead, that title instead apparently belongs to up-and-comer Isla Johnston.

Cage just recently had the opportunity to work with the English actress in the making of the new Jesus-centric horror movie The Carpenter’s Son, and he heaped praise upon his co-star in an interview with EW. And just in case you perhaps think that he momentarily forgot that he has worked with some of the most talented actors alive, he name-dropped his Adaptation co-star in his statement.

For what it’s worth, the role that Johnston plays in the new film is pretty intense. Written and directed by Lotfy Nathan, The Carpenter’s Son sees Nicolas Cage play Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ, and Johnston plays the role of Satan. Her previous credits include The Queen’s Gambit (in which she played Anya Taylor Joy’s character in childhood flashbacks) and the 2021 Apple TV+ series Invasion.

Nicolas Cage sees big things for her in her future, and he even cited some of her upcoming work that he is personally excited for: it has been reported that she will play the lead in director Baz Luhrman’s developing film Jehanne d’Arc. Discussing what is so special about working with Isla Johnston, he added,

Curious to see what Nicholas Cage saw in the talents of his young co-star? The Carpenter's Son – which also stars Noah Jupe and FKA Twigs – was given a theatrical release in November, but it is now available to rent and/or purchase from all major online retailers. And while we wait to see what Isla Johnston will do in the role of Joan of Arc, Cage has a bunch of upcoming movies in the pipeline, including the streaming series Spider-Noir, but also the Lord of War sequel Lords of War, and the biopic about NFL legend John Madden.

In addition to two upcoming Spider-Man movies being slated for 2026 and 2027, respectively, fans of Marvel Comics’ web-slinger can look forward to a much different version of the character getting the live-action treatment on TV. The black-and-white Spider-Noir stars Nicholas Cage as a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York City who once fought crime as Spider-Man. A key detail about this forthcoming MGM+ series has been cleared up, and while I’m pleased about that, now there’s another mystery on my mind.

Let’s start with that key detail first. Thanks to a poster that was shown off at CCPX (via Omelete), we now know that Nicholas Cage is not playing Peter Parker in Spider-Noir, but rather Ben Reilly. That name might not sound familiar if you’re only a casual Spidey fan, but longtime Marvel Comics readers and fans of Spider-Man: The Animated Series know him as a clone of Peter Parker. Although there was a period in the comics when Ben served as the main Spider-Man, he’s better known for being Scarlet Spider, although these days he’s the supervillain Chasm. Ben in his Scarlet Spider form was voiced by Andy Samberg in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Although Peter Parker is traditionally the Spider-Man of Earth-90214, a.k.a. the Marvel Noir universe, in the comics, and that remained the case when Nicholas Cage voiced Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, I’m not shocked about this identity shift for Spider-Noir. Even ignoring all the rumors of Ben Reilly’s inclusion, I suspect that Sony Pictures would be protective about Peter being used. Given how different Spider-Man Noir looks suited up, plus how Nicolas Cage’s version of the character presumably has a significantly different backstory, perhaps the company decided it would be too confusing to general viewers to also call him Peter Parker.

I don’t necessarily agree with that decision if that is indeed what happened, but Spider-Noir’s lead being called Ben Reilly isn’t a dealbreaker for me. While it would be great to see a more faithful live-action version of Ben with his clone background intact someday, I still plan on watching this black-and-white series whenever it’s released. Now here’s the next big question I’m thinking about: how is Nicolas Cage going to look in the series?

We still have yet to see the live-action Spider-Man Noir unmasked and in civilian attire. Will Ben Reilly just look like normal ol’ Nicolas Cage, or will the actor’s face be made up to look different. Maybe work was done to give Cage a more hard-boiled appearance to make him look even more like a hard-boiled investigator? Again, I’ll be fine either way, but it would be interesting to see if Cage was game to have his look altered even when he’s not masked up.

He’s joined in Spider-Noir by Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson (who’s reportedly playing the main villain), Li Jun Li, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston and Karen Rodriguez, among others. The series, consisting of eight episodes, will first debut on MGM+ in the United States sometime on the 2026 TV schedule, and then will become available to stream globally with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Do you know what I can’t stand? When people say that “Nicolas Cage can’t act,” because holy jeez. The man can act. (Have you seen Pig?) I mean, just because somebody picks roles that we don't understand the appeal of, that doesn’t mean that they can’t act. It just means that maybe they should be a bit more selective when choosing roles.

And yeah, I’ll give you that. Because Nic Cage has kind of almost become his own genre. That said, that shouldn’t make you think that he’s a bad actor, because he even WON a Best Actor trophy for his performance in 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas, which I feel is something that I have to constantly remind people about.

The story of a self-destructive alcoholic, Cage knocked this role out of the park, and it's proof positive that he can do pretty much anything. Let’s talk.

For One Thing, This Is Arguably The Best Acting Nicolas Cage Has Ever Done On Screen

Now look, I get it. When most people think of Cage, they probably envision movies like The Rock, Face/Off, and Con Air, and yeah, I love those movies, too. They might also think of all of the times that Nic Cage’s characters went bananas, like when he was screaming about bees, or emphatically reciting the alphabet. However, you have to remember that he's done A LOT of movies (maybe too many), and in the over 100 films he’s made, there are some rather, er, silly performances, with some meaty ones as well, and his role in Leaving Las Vegas is definitely the latter.

Based on the 1990 novel of the same name by John O’Brien (more on him later), the film sees Cage’s character at rock bottom. He’s a screenwriter, but he’s lost his job as well as his family (lost, as in, his wife left him and took the kid). So, with everything stripped away from him, he’s going to travel to Las Vegas and drink himself to death. That’s his plan anyway, until he almost hits a sex worker (Elisabeth Shue) with his car, and they actually form a bond.

This is where the film turns tragic, as Cage’s character, Ben, isn’t looking for a cheap thrill. He’s just looking for somebody to talk to, and he performs this so well. He’s doing his trademark laugh, but it’s also laden with misery. At one point, he has the shakes so bad that he can barely walk, and you just watch his decline, as you know there’s not going to be a happy ending.

It’s a performance that actually makes you appreciate his more "ludicrous" performances, because you can clearly see that he CHOOSES to act that way. If he wanted to, he could possibly pull a Daniel Day-Lewis and act his heart out. He definitely has it in him.

The Story Is All The More Depressing When You Learn That It’s Semi-Autobiographical

I hinted earlier that this movie was based on a novel, but what I didn't mention was that the novel was semi-autobiographical, as its author, John O'Brien, was also deeply depressed, much like Cage's character in this film. In fact, O'Brien actually took his own life only months after the film rights were sold for this book. So, even though we didn't include Leaving Las Vegas in our list regarding movies about depression, it certainly fits the bill.

O'Brien, you see, was also an alcoholic, so the subject matter of this story certainly came from a personal place. Cage truly tapped into that vein. Throughout the picture, we see his decline into alcoholism. At times, he looks like he’s having a blast, stumbling all over the place. But, at other times, you can see the toll that it’s taking on him, as well as Shue's character, who's staying with, and who I’ll get into soon. What’s hard to stomach is that the writer himself was in so much pain that he created a character who you want to see get better, but you know he won’t.

This is a role that comfortably sits outside of the parameters of a “silly” Nic Cage performance. This isn’t a meme-worthy Cage. No. Instead, he’s portraying a man who had nothing else to lose, so he was going to kill himself on his own terms.

It’s a terribly distressing, and depressing movie, but Cage nails it completely. That said, he’s not alone…

Elisabeth Shue Is Also A Standout As A Loving Sex Worker

There are a lot of movies out there with kind-hearted sex workers. It’s even become a bit of a trope, which we see in films like Trading Places, and Pretty Woman. So, yes, we’re familiar with watching them get men out of their slumps, and even fall in love (for a more recent, cynical version of this trope, we got last year’s Best Picture winner, Anora, which left some of us feeling “lukewarm”).

That said, Leaving Las Vegas doesn’t feel trope-y at all, and I think it all goes to Elisabeth Shue’s performance, because you get a sense that she’s just as lost as Cage’s character. Except unlike Cage, who is spiraling out of control right before our eyes, Shue’s character, Sera, has been living on the fringes for a long time, and she seems to have found something comforting in Ben, even though he’s a complete mess.

It might be because Ben NEEDS Sera, even though he feels alcohol is the solution. He’s falling apart at the seams, but Sera is, too, and has been for a long time. Shue makes it seem like Sera has something missing in her life, and that “thing” isn’t a man, but rather, it’s the sense of being needed for something other than sex. She takes Ben into her life, but only under one condition from Ben – she doesn’t ask him to stop drinking, and he won’t say anything negative about her line of work.

This is fine for a little while, but Sera sees that Ben needs the kind of help that she just can’t provide, which breaks her heart, as well as the viewer’s. Like everything else in this movie, her acting is high art, and she rises above the tropes, creating a character of her own.

It's Honestly One Of The Best Films Of The '90s And Worthy Of A Watch

Though it wasn’t included on our list of the 100 best movies of the 1990s, believe me when I say this, but Leaving Las Vegas is definitely one of the best movies of that era. One reason why is because it’s totally devoid of all hope. That might not sound like a good thing, but it is, because it makes you better appreciate life when you see a man totally free fall into his worst vices.

The film works because the acting allows it to do so. Sure, there have been movies like The Lost Weekend where we see the toll that alcoholism can take on a person, but unlike that movie, which ends on a rosier note, we learn that this isn’t a cautionary tale. Instead, it’s a story about a man who doesn’t see the point in living anymore, and nothing will make him see otherwise, which is as dour as you can possibly get.

To my earlier point, it all hinges on Shue and Cage’s acting, and they are both superb. So, whenever you say, “Nicolas Cage can’t act,” please remember that he certainly can act, and Leaving Las Vegas is proof of that.

If there’s one actor who knows how to handle chaos, it’s Nicolas Cage. However, even he wasn’t ready for a swarm of bees to crash the set of his upcoming horror movie, The Carpenter’s Son, a religious horror-drama in which he plays Joseph, the biblical figure. While internet sleuths might be tempted to call the bee attack karma, the Ghost Rider vet insists this wasn’t a case of divine retribution. Still, I have to admit, what took place behind the scenes on this 2025 movie release sounds even wilder than the infamous The Wicker Man bee scene.

Cage recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly, during which he opened up about the now-infamous bee incident that unfolded while filming on a remote mountaintop. Naturally, everyone’s first thought was his iconic line from The Wicker Man, “Not the bees!" but the Renfield star was quick to shut that down with a laugh. The Carpenter’s Son, he clarified, is not a comedy, and the bee attack wasn’t part of some elaborate meta bit. It was, quite simply, a logistical fail. He recalled:

Of course, the leading man isn’t mad at the bees, heck, he even sympathizes with them, which is somehow the most Nic Cage thing I’ve ever heard. The longtime Hollywood fixture continued:

Leave it to Cage to acknowledge our "brothers" and "sisters" in the animal kingdom. You have to admit, its pretty awesome to see an actor give it up for the animals while calling out the less than thought out plan by the production.

But the bee (wasp?) talk didn’t end with Cage. Director Lotfy Nathan told EW that the real mess came later, when another location—an elaborate leper colony set—had to be shut down thanks to a fresh swarm of angry wasps, allegedly drawn in by chemicals used in set dressing. The moment they arrived on set, production halted. The filmmaker added:

For those who might not know, The Carpenter’s Son was written and directed by Lotfy Nathan, inspired by the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Set during the lost years of Jesus' boyhood, the film follows a young Christ (Noah Jupe), his mother (FKA Twigs), and his earthly father, Joseph (Nicolas Cage), as they navigate a world caught between divine mystery and human fear. Blending religious mythology with horror-genre tension, the film explores themes of faith, power, and identity through a dark, unsettling lens.

Despite what sounds like a cursed shoot, in the vein of say, The Passion of the Christ, Cage maintains that nothing truly supernatural happened. No hauntings, no omens—just bees doing what bees do. So, yes, The Carpenter’s Son had its share of production drama, but The Kiss of the Vampire star wants fans to know the film itself is no joke. He describes it as intense, vulnerable, and emotionally raw, adding:

In other words, the bees may have been buzzing, but there’s nothing ironic about the Longlegs star's latest role. Just commitment, chaos and a deep reverence for the story being told.

Fans of some of the best horror movies can catch the upcoming Nic Cage project, The Carpenter's Son, when it arrives in theaters on November 14.

After many months of limited to zero updates regarding the impending fifth season of True Detective, which was ordered up back in February 2024, the HBO hit reportedly landed Nicolas Cage to head up whatever the newest murder mystery will be under showrunner Issa López. Fans like myself are still holding out hope for Matthew McConaughey to return as TV’s most eloquent redneck, Rust Cohle, but I guess we’ll just have to make do with the Season 1 star offering his own personal seal of approval for that casting.

Speaking with Variety about one of his first live-action projects since 2019’s The Gentlemen — The Last Bus hits the 2025 movie schedule for a limited run on Sept. 19 — McConaughey was asked to weigh in on Cage being reported as the thriller anthology’s newest titular investigator, and it’d be hard to read into his reaction as anything but a warm sign of approval. When asked about it, the Interstellar vet lit up while verifying the casting was legit, saying:

It's the way Matthew McConaughey takes the information in and then says, "Alright, Nicolas," while raising his eyebrows and smiling. I can't imagine there being a better stamp of approval for anyone potentially stepping into a True Detective lead role. Like, if anything I did caused the actor to it just like that, I would feel pumped enough to think I could do no wrong. It does help that my name is also Nicholas.

While only a few actors out there would have salient advice about what a season of True Detective might be like, McConaughey had no big insights to share for Cage, and instead voiced his confidence that the other actor would crush it, amusingly using his first name three times in the same sentence.

Imagine if Matthew McConaughey would mess up one time and rather than saying, "Alright, alright, alright," instead said, "Nicolas, Nicolas, Nicolas." Well, that probably wouldn't have had as much of an impact on meme culture, and fans might question why he'd be using someone's first name as a positive descriptor.

Still, I can't argue with that, especially with it coming a year after Cage freaked audiences out in Oz Perkins' freaky horror Longlegs, which itself felt somewhat like a truncated season of True Detective. The actor is known for delivering unhinged performances, and I can only hope that working with Issa López on Season 5 inspires him to bring another knock-out performance.

That's assuming this project can come together in a timely enough manner. Cage currently has a John Madden biopic on the way, and he's also portraying the Spider-Verse character Spider-Noir for a standalone TV show. Not to mention co-starring in the David Mamet-scripted drama The Prince and playing Jesus' father in Lotfy Nathan's upcoming drama The Carpenter's Son.

Matthew McConaughey is set to reteam with both Dazed and Confused's Cole Hauser and True Detective's creator Nic Pizzolatto for a new Netflix movie, and while that project won't have any direct connections to the newest season of the HBO series, I'm never going to give up hope for Rust Cohle to pop back into our lives to share another unforgettable observation about time.

Many of the biggest action stars of all time, in the best action movies, got their start in the 1980s and 1990s when action movies really started to dominate Hollywood. Stars like Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and Keanu Reeves all started making their mark in those seminal decades in film. This gallery is a tribute to all the action stars who are still making movies today, but began their careers decades ago.

Keanu Reeves

While he broke out in comedies like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Parenthood, it wasn't long before Keanu Reeves was starring in big action flicks like Point Blank and Speed. Reeves isn't just an action star, but with the lead in two now-iconic franchises, The Matrix and John Wick, he definitely belongs near the top of any list like this.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie's career started early. She was just 6 years old when she appeared in her first movie in 1982 alongside her dad, Jon Voight. By the late '90s, she was on her way to becoming one of the biggest stars in the world. She got into action movies with films like Gone In 60 Seconds and her biggest franchise, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and while she has always kept one foot in more indie-type movies (including as a director), she's been a steady action star for decades.

Nicolas Cage

It's hard to come up with a Hollywood star with a more diverse acting career than Nicolas Cage. His rage is actually pretty amazing, and that certainly includes starring in some great action movies, like the iconic Con Air and the National Treasure movies.

Scarlett Johansson

Like a lot of actors on this list, Scarlett Johansson can't be pigeon-holed as simply an action star. She is, however, one of the major players in the MCU as Black Widow, and has starred in other action flicks like Jurassic World Rebirth and Lucy.

Wesley Snipes

Most of the biggest box office successes of Wesley Snipes' early career were comedies like Major League, Wildcats, and White Men Can't Jump. In the early '90s he transistioned into action movies with leading roles in the likes of New Jack City, Passenger 57, and Rising Son. He also starred in Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, as Blade in three movies.

Halle Berry

You might not think of Halle Berry as an action star... until you remember how many superhero movies she's starred in. Not only was she an important part of the X-Men franchise, but she was also Batwoman in 2004 and has also starred in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and others.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

This one is a little tricky. Technically, action movie legend Arnold Schwarzenegger had his first role way back in 1970 with Hercules in New York, but that was really a one-off B-movie that was soon forgotten. After he spent the 1970s winning every bodybuilding trophy on Earth, he entered Hollywood properly in 1982 when he starred in Conan the Barbarian. Everything since is action history.

Robert Downey, Jr.

Robert Downey, Jr. doesn't jump off the page as an action star. The Oscar winner has proven he can star in any genre, but as the anchor of the MCU movies for more than a decade, he definitely belongs on this list.

Tom Cruise

There's nothing to be said about Tom Cruise that hasn't already been written, right? One of the biggest stars in Hollywood history, Cruise has starred in action movies like Top Gun and its sequel, a couple of Jack Reacher movies, the Mission: Impossible franchise, and great one-offs like Edge of Tomorrow, War of the Worlds, and Minority Report, to name just a few. Plus, he famously does a ton of his own stunts, which shows just how much he belongs on any list of big action stars.

Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich started as a model, but transitioned to movies with films like Return to the Blue Lagoon and Dazed and Confused. Soo,n though, she started popping up in legendary action movies like The Fifth Element and, most notably, as Alice in six Resident Evil movies.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

In the '80s, a whole slew of action-first stars emerged, and one of the most popular was Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme first gained fame in No Retreat, No Surrender, and followed that with hits like Bloodsport and Cyborg.

Linda Hamilton

Director James Cameron can be divisive, but you can't argue that he knows how to create female action star leads with great parts and great casting. Linda Hamilton is a legend from her appearances in the Terminator movies over the years.

Kurt Russell

Okay, we have to acknowledge that Kurt Russell's career started when he was a child star with Disney way back in the 1960s. In the '80s, he fully dove into action flicks in a big way with movies like Escape from New York, The Thing, and Big Trouble in Little China, all directed by one of the decade's best directors, John Carpenter. He's since been in a slew of action movies.

Mel Gibson

With the Mad Max franchise and the Lethal Weapon movies, Mel Gibson would be on this list even if those were his only movies. Of course, he has so much more, like Braveheart, Ransom, and many of the other best action movies of the '90s.

Thandiwe Newton

Thandiwe Newton debuted in 1991's comedy Flirting, and in the '90s and beyond, she's starred in action movies like Mission: Impossible 2, The Chronicles of Riddick, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and 2012. She's also starred in TV shows like Westworld that fit in this genre, too.

Dolph Lundgren

One of the pillars of cheesy (and awesome) '80s action is the great Dolph Lundgren. From fantasy heroes like He-Man in 1987's Masters of the Universe to communist boxers like Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, he's been a staple for decades in lots of action movies, including part of the O.G. cast in The Expendables franchise.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu kicked off her career in the early '90s, and before too long, she started doing some awesome action movies. Probably the most notable are the Charlie's Angels movies and the Kill Bill movies, but she's also got some less-well-known ones like The Man with the Iron Fists, directed by RZA, and even superhero movies, like Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Jason Statham

Like other actors on this list, Jason Statham didn't start in true action flicks. His first roles were in the Guy Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, but within a couple of years, he became a full-blown action hero in The Transporter and The Italian Job. Now it seems like he's in all the biggest action franchises, like The Expendables and the Fast & Furious movies.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is one of the most versatile actresses in Hollywood. She won an Oscar for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the terrifying true story Monster. She's also been in acclaimed dramas like The Road, Cider House Rules, and Bombshell. Of course, she's starred in a whole slew of great action movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, Æon Flux, and a few of the Fast & Furious movies.

Jet Li

Jet Li started out in movies in Hong Kong in the early 1980s, where he quickly established himself as one of the great martial arts stars in Chinese-language films. After a decade and a half in Hong Kong, he moved to Hollywood in the late '90s, starring first as the villain in Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998. He became such a big action star that he was included in the first three Expendables movies.

Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner might not seem like the typical action star, but he definitely is. Movies like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Postman, and the incredibly underrated Waterworld prove that when he wants to be, he can be a great action hero.

Michelle Yeoh

Like some other actors on this list, Michelle Yeoh starred in martial arts movies in Hong Kong in the '90s. Her breakout film in the West was as Wai Lin in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, where she showed the whole world her stage fighting and stunt skills. Since then, she's been in hits like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and, of course, Everything Everywhere All at Once, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress.

Bruce Willis

There's no way this list would be complete without the great Bruce Willis! Die Hard will always be one of the best action movies of all time and in many ways helps define what a action movie in the 1980s looked and felt like. Only Willis could have pulled off the the wit and charm of John McClane. He's been in a ton of action movies since, of course. He is now retired, due to his health, but he worked right up until he no longer could.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz took a long hiatus from acting, finally returning in the 2025 Netflix release, appropriately called Back in Action. While she may be best known for her roles in romcoms like There's Something About Mary and The Mask and dramas like Gangs of New York and Vanilla Sky, she's had her fair share of action hits too, like Charlie's Angels and Knight and Day.

Steven Seagal

It's easy to forget just how huge an action star Steven Seagal was in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He actually sort of dominated the box office with movies like Hard To Kill, Above The Law, Mark For Death, and Out For Justice. He reached the artistic pinnacle of his career with 1992's Under Siege. It's not just a great movie for teenage boys like his first four movies; it's legitimately a great movie, with great performances from Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, and Gary Busey. Sure, he's not making movies on that level anymore, but he's still been churning out straight-to-video-type releases for decades.

Peter Weller

Peter Weller's breakout came in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension in 1984, but he really hit the big time with 1987's classic RoboCop. Sure, it was insanely violent, but RoboCop had a unique political message, too. Weller's been going strong ever since.

Robert Patrick

The iconic T-1000 in Terminator 2 became one of the great action villains of the 1990s. Robert Patrick played the role of the callous, cold robot killer perfectly. It established him as a legit action star, and he's been busy ever since.

Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke isn't only an action star. In fact, most of his roles have been in serious dramas, starting with movies like The Pope of Greenwich Village and 9½ Weeks in the 1980s, but he's definitely proven his action bona fides with roles in Iron Man 2, Sin City, and The Expendables.

Matt Damon

Anyone who has starred as Jason Bourne in four films deserves to be on this list. Sure, Matt Damon might not be the first actor you think of as an action hero, but come on! You can't deny that he belongs on this list for those films alone. Throw in movies like The Martian and Elysium, and he definitely should be here.

Dwayne Johnson

We're making a slight exception here. Technically, Dwayne Johnson's first movie credit came in 2001 in The Mummy Returns, but he had been quite famous for years for his work in the WWE throughout the 1990s. So while he didn't get his start in movies until later, he was a well-established star years before that. Of course, in the two and a half decades since his first movie role, he's become one of the biggest action heroes of all time.

Zoe Bell

This is another interesting case. Zoe Bell's first acting role in a movie was in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof in 2007. However, she had already built a legendary career as a stunt woman going back to the 1990s. With the Academy Awards (finally) adding a trophy for best stunts, we're going to include Bell here, because she's been performing in movies for decades.

Will Smith

He started as a rapper, then got into acting with comedy, and in the '90s, Will Smith became a big action star with movies like Independence Day, Bad Boys, and Men in Black. He's proven to be a very versatile actor over the years, starring in every genre of film you can think of.

One of Nicolas Cage’s best movies was Honeymoon in Vegas. Co-starring Sarah Jessica Parker and set in Las Vegas, the rom-com is about a man who loses a big fortune to a professional gambler who then uses his fiancée as collateral. In real life, Parker admitted she and her co-star actually dated in real life. This led to Cage getting real about their past romance that involved his date’s mom.

On a July 13th episode of Watch What Happens Live!, Sarah Jessica Parker casually mentioned to Andy Cohen a decades-old rumor—she did date her Honeymoon in Vegas co-star Nic Cage. This led to E! News wanting to hear the Oscar winner’s side of the story, where he opened up about his past romance with her in a statement:

Ooh, not hitting it off with your mom’s date would definitely hit a snag in the relationship. Maybe Nic Cage’s motorcycle jacket gave off “bad boy” vibes her mother didn't agree with? But I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

There’s no need to feel too bad that things didn’t work out between the Honeymoon in Vegas co-stars, as the two have long moved on. Nicolas Cage has been married to multiple famous people, like Patricia Arquette for six years and the late Lisa Marie Presley for 107 days.

Nicolas Cage then married Alice Kim in 2004, where they shared a son, Kal-El, before their divorce in 2016. But like Cage’s Honeymoon in Vegas character, he got married in Las Vegas to Riko Shibata in 2021 with their daughter, August, born a year later.

As for Sarah Jessica Parker, she’s had her share of A-list celebrity dates like Robert Downey Jr. and John F. Kennedy Jr. But the real deal for her was with Matthew Broderick, whom she met at the Naked Angels theater company where the two performed.

The Sex in the City actress cutely told Andy Cohen that she was the one who first told the Godzilla actor she loved him, believing she had “nothing to lose.” It’s clear she knew her feelings for her beau were real and wasn’t afraid to show them. Plus, I’m assuming Matthew Broderick worked his charm to pass “the Mom test.”

Sarah Jessica Parker’s wedding day with the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off actor took place in 1997, and they have been together ever since. The married couple had a son in 2002 and twin girls in 2009, who were born via surrogacy.

Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker may not have worked out due to him not passing “the Mom test.” However, it looks like the two stars created their own love stories and families in other places. Make sure to look at our 2025 movie releases so you’re up to speed on their upcoming film projects.

Have you ever had a movie that you’ve heard so much about, but you wind up missing it in theaters and decide to just watch it at home? Of course you have! It happens to all of us. For me, the latest example is Pig.

Not too long ago, I finally got to watch Nickel Boys, and even more recently, I got to watch the Nicolas Cage movie. That said, while Nickel Boys was everything that I could have hoped for, Pig…well, I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this movie.

Actually, that’s not quite true, because like most audience members who saw it, I loved it. But, it’s WHY I loved it that really makes me second-guess myself. So, sit with me for a while, little piggy, and I’ll explain it to you.

Oh, and MAJOR spoilers up ahead. You’ve been warned.

First Off, I Don't Know Why, But I Thought This Was Going To Be A Horror Movie

I love Nicolas Cage! I know a lot of people think he “sucks,” mostly because they’re probably thinking of the more, let’s just call them “Cagier” Nicolas Cage movies, but I love those, too! In fact, I’ve never watched a Nicolas Cage movie that I didn’t love.

Just think, the man has done romantic comedies, action movies, cartoons, and plenty of dramas. One of my FAVORITE genres for Nicolas Cage is horror, as he just does such a magnificent job at being creepy, or being in creepy situations. I’m talking about films like Longlegs, which my colleague, Alexandra Ramos, called one of the best movies of last year, and Mandy, which I thought was one of the best movies of 2018.

So, when I heard the plot of Pig being a movie about Cage rescuing a kidnapped hog, I naturally thought, “Oh, this must be a movie where Nic hacks people into pieces to get his pig back!” In my mind, I made Pig out to be this brutal, bloodsoaked horror movie where Cage is covered in other people’s viscera, and doing a lot of screaming (Possibly in tighty whiteys, a la Mandy).

But no, not at all. In fact, Pig is an introspective drama about a loner truffle-hunter who is not only searching for his pig, but also himself. And, can I just tell you that this threw me off completely? About 30 minutes in, I came to the realization that “Oh, this isn’t a horror movie at all. It's a drama!”

So, it was because of my one silly self, but I thought this would be a completely different movie, but, do you know what? I’m all the better for it. Because the story is so damn good, which I’ll get into next.

The Story, On The Surface, Seemed Silly, But As It Started Moving, I Found MYSELF Moved

Once I realized that this wasn’t a horror movie, I paused the film and read the description, but it still sounded kind of silly. I mean, a pig in a metropolitan area? What is this? Babe: Pig in the City.

But, Pig turned out to be a really deep and dark film, and by the end of it, I found myself surprisingly moved, almost to the point of tears.

Cage’s truffle-hunting character, Robin, used to be a prominent chef, but he became a recluse after the death of his wife. Now, he lives alone in the forest with his pig and is visited every so often by an ingredient supplier named Amir (played by Hereditary’s Alex Wolff).

When Robin’s pig is taken, he goes into the city, and we learn all about his backstory, which is intertwined with Amir’s. Throughout the film, we learn a number of things about Rob’s former profession and how he tried to escape it, but his past was inescapable. People remember, especially if you’re known for doing something great.

By the end, which I’ll get into more detail later, I was emotionally wrecked, which really surprised me since I went into this movie thinking Cage would be laughing his head off by the end of it, not nearly crying.

This Might Be One Of My Favorite Nicolas Cage Performances

As I said earlier, a lot of people think Cage is a “bad” actor, and even the man himself admits that he’s taken on crummy roles in the past. But, whenever I hear people say that “Nicolas Cage sucks,” I always have to remind them that he won a freaking Oscar for acting.

Some people already know this, but a lot of people don’t. That is until, of course, I show them his acceptance speech for Leaving Las Vegas, to which they’re like, “Then why is he in such bad movies?” to which I usually retort, “But he’s good in them!”

“Good” acting is purely subjective, of course (which might be why Robert Pattinson is quite possibly my all-time favorite actor), but when Cage is actually in a “good” movie, he will always knock it out of the park, which is what he does here. He simply knocks it out of the park.

Robin “Rob” Feld is a complex character who blossoms throughout the story. At first, he’s stoic, and he remains that way throughout the story. However, even though he doesn’t talk much, you see the depths of his character unfold throughout the film.

For example, when he’s willing to participate in getting beaten up just to acquire some information as to the whereabouts of his pig, that speaks volumes. When he cooks a meal for his “enemy,” it also speaks volumes. It's all these subtle actions and more that make Robin one of Cage's most complex characters ever.

The Ending Truly Got Me

I once wrote an article about 12 great old movies that don't get talked about enough, and one of the movies on that list was L'avenntura.

I only bring this movie up (I'm actually about to spoil TWO movies now) because at the end of L'avenntura, which starts out about a woman who’s gone missing, the woman is never found.

Upon rewatching it, you realize that the film, which translates to “The Adventure” in Italian, isn’t really about the missing woman. It’s about the feeling of isolation and disillusionment. In that way, you learn to appreciate the movie more for what it truly is, rather than being upset at the lack of a payoff.

The same could be said of Pig, since in the end, Robin never recovers the missing animal. In fact, the pig dies, and Robin returns to where he started and is left all alone, save for his memories of his dead wife.

As you could imagine, this truly got me, as I definitely wasn’t expecting such a morose or “unsatisfying” ending. I think that’s what makes the film so special, as it left me thinking about the entire journey all the way through, which I’ll talk about next.

I Am Hesitant To Recommend Pig To Anybody, Since I Think Going Into It Blind (Or With Other Expectations) Is Crucial

I’m really hesitant about whether I should recommend it or not, because I’m worried that if I do, I might give too much away about the journey.

If I tell somebody that it’s a drama, they might go into it expecting it to be dramatic, but that kind of thinking is what threw me off when I found out for myself that it wasn’t a horror movie, like I thought. That made me appreciate it more. If I tell them not to get their hopes up for the ending, then they’ll be thinking about what could happen rather than focusing on how the events play out on their own, which I also loved about it.

I think this is a movie that is best to go into completely blind, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody, even though it’s great. I want them to have a similar experience as I had in being completely enraptured by the story and performances.

So, Pig is good, and I don’t have to wonder anymore about why so many loved it. I better understand its appeal now that I’ve actually watched and written about it!

There are two things to look forward to on the live-action Spider-Man front. In one corner, Spider-Man: Brand-New Day begins filming soon and is slated for a summer 2026 release, continuing the adventures of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In another corner, we have the Prime Video series Spider-Noir, which stars Nicholas Cage as an older, grizzled version of the Web-Slinger who’s active in 1930s New York. The first official image and a teaser from the latter project is finally here, and they’ve confirmed one big hope I’ve been having for the upcoming TV show: that it’s entirely black and white.

First, check out the image that was shared during Amazon’s annual upfronts presentation of Spider-Noir’s title hero. This will be Cage’s second time portraying Spider-Man Noir, having previously voiced him in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:

One of the main things that can dictate if a superhero costume looks good in live-action is how faithful it is to the original look from the comics. Well, mission accomplished here, because this looks like Spider-Man Noir was ripped directly from the printed page and into real life. I’m especially into the texture of the mask Nicolas Cage’s character is wearing in the Prime Video subscription-exclusive series, and the goggles are also superb.

Now, immediately after I saw this Spider-Noir picture, I was hoping that the black and white was not just a stylistic choice, and that the series itself would be lacking in color. Thankfully, this was confirmed to be the case not long after, as you’ll see in the below teaser video:

This teaser doesn’t really reveal anything that we already knew about Spider-Noir from various announcements and reports, but I’m definitely digging the show’s vibe and aesthetic. Most importantly, it was wise for Prime Video to go black and white for this show instead of color. It’s a fitting choice for the 1930s setting and its, well, noir tone. At the very least, this helps Spider-Noir visually stand out from other superhero TV shows.

It hasn’t been clarified yet if the Spider-Man Noir Nicolas Cage is playing is Peter Parker or will go by another name. Regardless, when we meet him, he’ll be a down-on-his-luck private investigator who’s put his past as NYC’s only superhero behind him, but something will spur him back into costumed action. Cage’s co-stars include Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson (who’s reportedly playing the main villain), Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez and Jack Huston, among others.

Spider-Noir will debut on Prime Video and MGM+ sometime in 2026, with Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot serving as its co-showrunners and executive producers. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to enjoy other Spider-Man movies and TV shows, break out your Disney+ subscription to see what’s available on that platform.

When it comes to on-screen roles, Nicolas Cage’s catalog is full of characters who wind up in a bunch of different dangerous and scary situations. The first to come to mind is Johnny Blaze jumping over a football field of helicopters on a motorcycle in Ghost Rider. Yet no role has threatened the Longlegs actor's real life quite like the preparation for his new movie, The Surfer.

The new psychological thriller, one of the many anticipated Nic Cage projects on the 2025 movie schedule, just released in theaters. While fans can look forward to Cage’s signature hysterical madness in The Surfer, the Dream Scenario actor told EW the reason we don’t actually see him surf in his new thriller, explaining:

In The Surfer, Cage plays a surfer intent on buying his childhood home in a beach town, only to be threatened by the locals, who slowly push him to his breaking point. So, in preparation for the role, he tried to learn how to surf.

Those who think surfing is easy should think again, and also watch one of my favorite movies about surfing, Chasing Mavericks, which tells a true story of training to surf giant swells. The water sport is one of the most dangerous activities in the world, especially in Australia, where The Surfer was filmed on site. Even with some prior experience on the waves, the Face/Off actor said he struggled to hang ten, explaining:

I don’t blame Cage for asking for an easier board after being unsuccessful with the short one. The fact that the 61-year-old actor kept trying after getting wiped out by literal tons of water crashing down on him is impressive. In the end, they didn’t even get the shot they wanted, and the Moonstruck actor said it nearly cost him his life:

Well, that’s harrowing. The Croods actor even mentioned to EW the idea of retiring after having previously said he would never give up acting. Perhaps he will just be a little more picky with the roles he accepts, something he wasn’t always able to do. At this point in his career, the Renfield actor has paid his dues thricefold with both the good and the bad. These days, in the years following his young daughter’s birth, he says he wants to make more pictures she can enjoy. Having children certainly puts things into a new perspective!

Even though we don’t get to see the Leaving Las Vegas actor shred some sea foam, it’s all worth it to be able to experience his incredible talent in this new mind-twisting flick. You can catch this latest Nicolas Cage film in theaters now.

Lots of the biggest actors in Hollywood started their careers with very modest parts. Sometimes, like Renée Zellweger in Dazed and Confused, they don't even have lines. Others have a little more to do, but in all of the examples on this list, they are all in smaller roles and rarely more than cameos. Let's get on to the list!

Renée Zellweger - Dazed And Confused

Dazed and Confused has one of the most stacked casts of young actors in any movie ever. Some are stars of the movie, like Matthew McCaughney and Parker Posey. Renée Zellweger is on the other end of the spectrum. She's only seen briefly in a couple of scenes, including one with Posey, but she doesn't have any lines.

Amy Adams - Drop Dead Gorgeous

Amy Adams has become one of the most formidable actors in Hollywood today, but like many, she started with smaller roles in big movies. Her first role, in fact, was a minor role in 1999's Drop Dead Gorgeous. She would get her big break a few years later in Catch Me If You Can and has gone on to be nominated for six Oscars, but is weirdly still an actor who has not won an Academy Award.

Keira Knightley - Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Keira Knightley had a few small television roles before she landed a small part as the Queen's decoy in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. She does a great impression of Natalie Portman, of course, as that was her job!

James Gandolfini - The Last Boy Scout

James Gandolfini ground it out for years, working small parts in great movies like True Romance and Crimson Tide, and Get Shorty, before landing the role of a lifetime in The Sopranos. His first role, for which he wasn't even credited, is as an extra playing a henchman to Damon Wayans' character in 1991's The Last Boy Scout.

Alfred Molina - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

While Alfred Molina had appeared in some small roles on television, his first acting credit came as Satipo in Raiders of the Lost Ark. He plays Indy's assistant who first betrays Indy, then is struck down trying to escape with the treasure at the beginning of the movie. It's a bigger role than an extra or a cameo, but not much more. He's gone on to much bigger things since, of course.

Scarlett Johansson - North

Scarlett Johansson's biggest break came in 2003's Lost In Translation, but the actress had been working in Hollywood for almost a decade at that point, first appearing in North when she was just nine years old.

Daniel Day-Lewis - Sunday Bloody Sunday

In another true "blink and you'll miss it" or, frankly, a "you'd never know if you didn't know" moment, the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis pops up as a trouble-making teen scratching cars in 1971's Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Elizabeth Banks - Shaft

Elizabeth Banks has built her career into a true Hollywood powerhouse as an actor, director, and producer. In the early days, though, she was like most actors, trying to land whatever parts she could in whatever movie she could. She appears in a handful of movies basically as a credited extra, including 2000's Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson. She was billed under the name Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell.

Matt Damon - Mystic Pizza

One thing Matt Damon wins on this list is "best character name" for his debut in a motion picture. He has a small role with the name "Steamer Windsor." There's a lot to unpack there; if only he had more screen time, we might have been able to.

Jon Hamm

Years before he would take the world by storm as Don Draper, Jon Hamm was like so many other young actors, taking any role he could, including "Young Pilot #2" in 2000's Space Cowboys, directed by Clint Eastwood.

Tom Cruise - Endless Love

While Endless Love might not seem like the biggest movie on this list, it was a minor hit back in 1981, starring Brooke Shields. It's hardly remembered today, but it did give an obscure actor named Tom Cruise his first role in a movie, and that has to count for something. Though Cruise has a small role here, later that same year, he would star in Taps, and two years later, his career would blow up with The Outsiders, Risky Business, and All The Right Moves, all in 1983. He's basically been the biggest star on earth in the decades since.

Melissa McCarthy - Go

Melissa McCarthy can do it all in comedy. She's been fantastic doing impressions on SNL and has played both memorable supporting roles in classics like Bridesmaids and This is 40, and starring roles in Central Intelligence and Ghostbusters. But it was a small role as a roommate in Go that gave her her start.

Nicolas Cage - Fast Times At Ridgemont High

The '80s classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High helped launch a lot of careers, like Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, and Phoebe Cates. It also gave Nicolas Cage his first role, though he didn't get a line in the movie. Famously, he was billed under his given name, Nic Coppola. Soon, he would change it to get some distance from his famous family, and the rest is history.

Elijah Wood - Back To The Future Part II

Elijah Wood has had a long career, and it stretches all the way back to 1989 and Back to the Future Part II, where he plays one of the kids who makes fun of Marty for using his hands to play a video in the future.

Kristen Stewart - The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas

This one is so fast (and you never actually see her face), that there is no way you'd know that Kristen Stewart's first movie role was as an uncredited extra playing a ring toss game in The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas without a list like this one.

Jack Black - Bob Roberts

In Jack Black's first role, the musician and comedian plays an absolutely terrifying fan of the politician and musician Bob Roberts in the Tim Robbins movie, also called Bob Roberts. Black plays a supporter of the politician, and the moment he appears on screen, he makes you nervous. It's kinda brilliant, if short-lived.

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey started his career with a tiny, uncredited role in the very last shot of a movie very few people remember, The Stuff from 1985.

Julia Roberts - Satisfaction

Of all the parts on this list, Julia Roberts' first role, in Satisfaction, the 1988 film that also stars Justine Bateman and Liam Neeson, is larger than most. She plays the bass player in the fictional band, and like many real-life bass players, she is mostly in the background. Later that year, she had a much more substantial role in Mystic Pizza, and from there, she pretty much conquered Hollywood.

Mark Wahlberg - Renaissance Man

Mark Wahlberg famously had some troubled teenage years while his brother Donnie stormed the music charts with New Kids On The Block. Still, eventually he would get his act together and find some success in show business, first as a musician himself, then later as one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. He was already famous when he landed his film debut in Renaissance Man, but it wasn't the starring role he'd soon be known for.

Tom Hardy - Black Hawk Down

The cast of Black Hawk Down is absolutely stacked. It's so stacked that Tom Hardy, who doesn't have a huge role, is really easy to overlook. The Havoc star landed his first role in a movie alongside actors like Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, and Jason Isaacs, plus guys like Orlando Bloom and Ty Burrell in early roles.

Brad Pitt - No Way Out

It's hard to believe that Brad Pitt wasn't an immediate star in Hollywood, but he had to put in the work, just like most. Early in his career, he had a number of uncredited roles as an extra, and his most notable was 1987's No Way Ou,t where he plays a guy at a party who is really just standing behind Kevin Costner.

Anthony Edwards - Fast Times At Ridgemont High

One of the many actors who found early work in their career in Fast Times At Ridgemont High was Anthony Edwards, who has a bit part as one of Sean Penn's stoner friends. It's true he has more lines than Nicolas Cage in the movie, but his role is still pretty minor, yet memorable.

Geena Davis - Tootsie

Geena Davis really burst onto the scene in smaller, but substantial roles in Tootsie and Fletch. Sure, there weren't the smallest roles on this list, but they weren't the leading roles she would later become famous for in movies like Beetlejuice, The Accidental Tourist (for which she won an Oscar), A League of Their and Thelma and Louise.

Eric Stoltz - Fast Times At Ridgemont High

The list of actors who got their start in Fast Times At Ridgemont High is long and distinguished. One name that you have to include as having had the most impressive career is Eric Stoltz. Three years later, Stoltz would star in Mask, and he pretty much wrote his own ticket after that performance. He plays one of the stoners in Fast Times with Sean Penn and Anthony Edwards, who don't like to wear shirts in public.

Jason Segel - Can't Hardly Wait

Random teenage stoners are pretty common characters for big stars to have played early in their career. Jason Segel is a perfect example. Segel plays a random dude at the big party who appears to have overindulged with his buddy in the classic teenage comedy, Can't Hardly Wait. The watermelon he's eating does look delicious, though.

Angelina Jolie - Lookin' To Get Out

The title of this list is about big movies, and you might hear the name Lookin' To Get Out and think, "What movie?" That's fair, as it's basically forgotten today, but it was a very hyped movie with a substantial budget for 1982. It was a Jon Voight project from top to bottom, and as such, he got to cast his then-seven-year-old daughter Angelina Jolie in a small part towards the end of the movie.

Jeff Goldblum - Death Wish

When you are credited as "Freak #1" in a movie, it's a safe bet that you're not going to be featured much. Still, when Jeff Goldblum landed that role in Death Wish, he went all out, including not showering for a while to immerse himself in the minor role. To his credit, he does look almost unrecognizable in the role.

Channing Tatum - Coach Carter

Even guys as good-looking and talented as Channing Tatum need to start somewhere. For Tatum, it was as a member of the basketball team in Coach Carter, the 2005 sports drama starring Samuel L. Jackson as the titular high school basketball coach.

Timothée Chalamet - Interstellar

Like countless other New York actors, Timothée Chalamet's first credited role came on Law & Order, which he landed when he was still in high school. In 2014, he was cast in Interstellar as Matthew McConaughey's character's son. It's a small role, but it obviously has led to big things.

Seth Rogen - Donnie Darko

Seth Rogen is most famous for his many comedic roles, but his first film role, a smaller role as a high school bully in Donnie Darko, is exactly his funniest role, that's for sure. The role came after he found his early success on Freaks and Geeks, but well before he broke out as a writer, director, as well as an actor later in his career.

Vince Vaughn - Rudy

Vince Vaughn has starred in a ton of classic comedies in his career, like Swingers, Old School, Dodgeball, and Wedding Crashers. He's also made his mark in dramas like Brawl in Cell Block 99, Freaky, Hacksaw Ridge, and his first movie, the classic sports drama, Rudy, where he plays one of the teammates on that Notre Dame football team.

Alexander Skarsgård

This one is a little bit of an edge case, because while Alexander Skarsgård's first American movie was as one of the really, really good looking male models in Zoolander, he had appeared in some Swedish movies before it. Still, we think this is close enough!

Often considered one of the best action movies of all time, The Rock was something I watched way too much as a kid, be it at home with my brother or at a friend’s sleepover. But unlike other great Nicholas Cage films, I haven’t revisited this 1996 blockbuster in years (I think the last time I watched it was on the way home from my honeymoon). Well, that changed recently, and I honestly forgot that Cage’s Stanely Goodspeed was an absolute madman.

No, not “let’s switch faces and get all crazy” Nic Cage from Face/Off the following year, but close. The FBI chemical weapons specialist has the same chaotic energy as Castor Troy, he’s just on the good side of the coin. But I digress… I was blown away by Cage’s wide-eyed, fast-talking, Beatles-obsessed hero, and this performance is just something I HAVE to talk about.

First Off, I Honestly Forgot How Much I Love The Rock

Though I will always have a soft spot for the first two Bad Boys movies, it’s safe to say that The Rock is Michael Bay’s best movie. Between his first stint in South Florida hanging out with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s Miami detectives and his time sending a group of oil-drillers into space to save the world, Bay perfected his craft with this star-studded, and action-packed cinematic spectacle. I don’t like using the term “masterpiece” all that often, but there’s a case to be made here.

The story, the setting, the characters, the lethal VX gas that’s pretty much “one of those things we wish we could disinvent,” all of it works together to create this intense, exciting, and iconic tour de force. Chases, explosions, the signature shots – all of Bay’s hallmarks – are either created or perfected here.

Stanley Goodspeed Is Quite Possibly One Of Nicolas Cage's Wildest Characters

Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for his performance in Leaving Las Vegas and immediately followed it with The Rock. I point this out because Cage, a bonafide star at this point in his career, went to great lengths to make Stanley Goodspeed not only a character that doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of great supporting characters played by Ed Harris, Sean Connery, and Michael Biehn but also one that has since become one of his most memorable and beloved. I don’t know if he felt like he had something to prove, or just wanted to have fun, but Cage goes all out here and looks to be having the time of his life.

Goodspeed may not be the craziest Nic Cage character, a distinction reserved for Castor Troy or maybe Peter Loew in Vampire’s Kiss, but he’s certainly one of the wildest to date. And that’s saying something. I mean, in the stretch of a few minutes, we see him going on about a rare Beatles record to preventing a mass-casualty event to playing guitar in his boxers to being tasked with saving San Francisco from a rogue Brigadier General and his team of pissed-off Marines. I honestly think he has every right to be a nut for much of the movie.

Cage's Line Delivery And Chemistry With Sean Connery Is Off The Charts

One thing I loved most about revisiting The Rock was the fact that it was an action movie way funnier than I remembered. Sure, some serious stuff goes down before everything is said and done, but Nicolas Cage’s line delivery and humor really help the movie stand out after all these years. The way Stanley Goodspeed says things like, “But what I'm dealing with here is one of the most deadly substances the earth has ever known, so what say you cut me some FRIGGIN' SLACK?” is just amazing.

And then there’s Cage’s chemistry with the late Sean Connery. I don’t think Michael Bay or producer Jerry Bruckheimer could have found a better person to pair with the legendary James Bond actor. From the contentious early stages of their relationship to finally trusting one another, these two unlikely scene partners knocked it out of the park and made The Rock at least 29% better.

It Is Not Lost On Me That Cage Followed This Up With Con Air, Making This A Killer One-Two Punch

I recently went back and rewatched Con Air, and I couldn’t get over the fact that Nicolas Cage made two of the biggest ‘90s action movies back-to-back (and I guess back-to-back-to-back if Face/Off is your thing, which is crazy to think about. I mean, two of my favorite R-rated movies of my childhood came out in subsequent years and both featured Nic Cage in leading roles.

While Stanley Goodspeed is far more energized than Cameron Poe on his quest to get home and meet his daughter after a multi-year prison sentence, these two both have great lines, kick a whole lot of ass, and save the day in the end. And you know how Cage was in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? Well, I’d love to have a movie where his various characters – Goodspeed and Poe included – have to team up. You could call it Bunnies & Beatles or something like that.

I'm Not Going To Lie, I Miss '90s Action Movies With Unconventional Leading Men

While the ‘80s gave us massive, muscle-bound big-screen heroes played by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Dolph Lundgren, Hollywood took a different approach in the ‘90s. Sure, Arnie and Sly were still cranking out hits in the early part of the decade, but we also got unconventional heroes like Nic Cage’s Stanley Goodspeed and Jeff Goldblum’s David Levinson in Independence Day.

In the summer of 1996, it felt like the nerds had finally gotten revenge on the world and become the biggest heroes of the silver screen. And while the portrayal of heroes has become more varied and nuanced in the nearly 30 years since both movies came out, I do miss those simpler and oftentimes funnier times when we didn’t have so many self-serious good guys.

All of this is to say that Nicolas Cage’s Stanley Goodspeed in The Rock is one of the wildest and most enjoyable performances in the actor’s prolific career, and one I’m glad I got to revisit.

Try as the 2025 TV schedule might, there’s no guarantee that we’ll see something as meteoric as Netflix’s insane documentary Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. That’s not a knock on what’s coming down the pipe, but rather a comment on how you really can’t tell what’ll hit as hard as the true story of intrigue, potential murder, and big cats.

At the same time, if Joe Exotic’s wishes to have David Spade play him in one of the three movie deals he’s got floating in the open ever comes true, that could be the closest we get to rekindling that magic. And sure enough, the Joe Dirt legend shared some exciting feelings on whether or not he'd take the gig.

Joe Exotic Thinks David Spade’s Joe Dirt Is A Closer Representation Than Joe Vs. Carole’s

I have to admit, when I saw the title “TIGER KING calls From Prison” on the latest episode of Fly on the Wall’s “Superfly” sub-series, I thought it was a joke. But apparently it was not, as there’s clearly a YouTube video of Spade, along with co-host/fellow SNL vet Dana Carvey, talking with the man himself.

Calling out Joe vs. Carole’s version as “way over the top,” Exotic actually suggested that the Joe Dirt star would have been a much better option than series star John Cameron Mitchell. Though if you’re curious about how the man also known as Joseph Allen Maldonado felt about Nicholas Cage almost being cast in the role, you can learn more about that in his remarks below:

Coincidentally that Peacock subscription driver co-stars another Saturday Night Live alum, as Joe vs. Carole's trailer put Kate McKinnon front and center as holding up the other end of that series' dynamic. So maybe that’s another part of why Joe Exotic thinks David Spade would be such a good pick.

Placing David Spade in the middle of the Exotic spectrum is a rather interesting choice I’d have never thought of. That only compliments the fact that I also never thought I’d hear someone calling Mr. Cage “too dry” to play someone as wild as . Then again, after hearing Spade’s eager impression of Joe Exotic, I will admit that I’m totally on board.

David Spade Seems Super Up To The Task, And I Think This Should Happen

Later on in Joe Exotic’s interview with David Spade and Dana Carvey, our Joe Dirt icon provided a little bit of his take on how he’d play the man at the heart of the Tiger King mythos. As you’ll read in the further excerpt below, Spade is already taking notes and putting his metaphorical resume on the table:

With David Spade’s recent SNL cameo still fresh in everyone’s mind, we clearly know that the comedy pro still has his edge. So why not roll the dice and do a Joe Exotic film with him in the lead? Or, even better, how about a Joe Dirt three-quel that reveals Joe Exotic is his actual dad? Why not both?

There’s clearly no wrong answers here, and if Mr. Exotic’s claim that he’ll be out of jail soon is valid, this could be a more pressing concern than anyone could have ever imagined. Well, anyone who doesn't happen to be named Joe Exotic.

The next time you watch a comedy movie, see if you can picture the star engaging in fisticuffs with a criminal and taking down their henchpeople in a shootout. You never know: they could be Hollywood’s next great action hero.

It may seem unlikely until you realize that many of the best action movies and TV shows of all time have been led by or featured pivotal roles played by stand-up comedians or actors who broke through in funny flicks or even classic TV sitcoms. See for yourself by taking a look at some comedically talented actors who beat the odds by becoming action stars.

Will Smith

After initially coming to prominence as a rap artist, Academy Award winner Will Smith proved he had a charismatic onscreen presence as the star of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was cast in director Michael Bay's buddy cop movie, Bad Boys, and, the following year, led Roland Emmerich's action-packed alien invasion flick, Independence Day. There would soon be so much more where those came from.

Cheech Marin

Along with his partner, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin essentially became the face of stoner comedy, especially after co-leading the classic '70s movie, Up in Smoke. His career would take a turn when he appeared in 1995's Desperado, leading him to become a staple of Robert Rodriguez's movies, and, eventually, began portraying a type of character his roles from the Cheech & Chong movies would try to avoid alongside Don Johnson in the hit cop show, Nash Bridges.

Chris Pratt

By channeling much of the same comedic energy from his scene-stealing breakout role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt helped make 2014's sci-fi odyssey, Guardians of the Galaxy, a light breath of fresh air into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His fun, heartfelt performance as Peter "Star-Lord" Quill also convinced Hollywood he was leading man material, opening the door for him to star in the Jurassic World movies and Amazon Prime's The Terminal List, to name a few.

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd made his major motion picture debut in the hilarious high school movie classic Clueless before later hit comedies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up made him one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors in the genre. He found the perfect role to become inducted into the MCU in the form of Ant-Man, playing the shrinking superhero with the same everyman quality that made him an A-lister.

Michael Keaton

Because Michael Keaton got his start in stand-up comedy and had been best known for movies like Night Shift and Mr. Mom at the time, comic book fans were up in arms over Tim Burton's decision to cast him in his live-action Batman movies, Batman and Batman Returns. The Oscar nominee has since been regarded as one of the best actors to play the Dark Knight (if not the best) and would even return to superhero movies as one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Vulture, in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Nicolas Cage

It is easy to forget that Nicolas Cage started out in comedies like Valley Girl and Peggy Sue Got Married before blowing us away in high-octane thrillers like Con Air, Face/Off, and Gone in 60 Seconds. Then again, it is also easy to tell that the Oscar winner has a comedy background from some of his action movie credits, including the three listed above and his even Cagier roles, like from Mandy and Willy's Wonderland.

Damon Wayans

You may have forgotten he was on Saturday Night Live, but you should surely remember Damon Wayans from his days on the In Living Color cast and from sitcoms like My Wife and Kids. Hopefully, you did not also forget about his roles in '90s crime thrillers The Last Boy Scout (opposite Bruce Willis) and Bulletproof (opposite Adam Sandler) or when he took over as Roger Murtaugh for Fox's series adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

Robert Downey Jr.

After lasting one season on Saturday Night Live, appearing in several '80s teen comedies like Weird Science, and earning his first Oscar nod for playing Charlie Chaplin, Robert Downey Jr.'s career would hit a snag in the early 2000s. Luckily, he would make an inspiring comeback after leading the 2005 noir thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the title role of Iron Man and playing Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes.

Eddie Murphy

Many credit Eddie Murphy with single-handedly saving Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, right before making his feature debut alongside Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's 1982 buddy crime thriller, 48 Hrs. Just two years later, the comedian led his own acclaimed action-comedy movie called Beverly Hills Cop, which made him Hollywood's biggest star.

Bruce Willis

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Bruce Willis was best known for playing David Addison on Moonlighting, starring opposite Kim Basinger in Blind Date, and appearing in commercials for Seagram, which is why audiences initially laughed when they saw him as John McClane in the trailer for Die Hard. However, the 1988 action classic would immediately skyrocket the actor to stardom and turn him into a top Hollywood action star, later known for leading thrillers like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and Sin City.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's stand-up career led him to join the In Living Color cast and lead his own self-titled sitcom before his Oscar-winning performance in the 2004 music biopic, Ray, and Oscar-nominated performance in Collateral the same year opened wider doors for him. He went on to star in more thrillers like Jarhead, The Kingdom, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Electro, and White House Down.

Alan Ritchson

One of Alan Ritchson's first major acting credits was playing doltish college football player Thad Castle on the uproarious sitcom Blue Mountain State before landing a small role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, doing performance capture for the 2014 and 2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and playing Hank "Hawk" Hall on Titans. The 6'3" actor's defining, star-making turn came when he was cast in the title role of the hit Amazon Prime TV show, Reacher, leading to his casting in Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu landed her breakthrough role on the hit workplace dramedy Ally McBeal as Ling Woo. Soon after, she achieved cinematic stardom in 2000's Charlie's Angels, teamed up with Antonio Banderas in the 2002 spy thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and was cast as ruthless assassin O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk wrote for Saturday Night Live for years in the 1980s before co-leading his own acclaimed sketch comedy series with David Cross called Mr. Show, which was his main claim to fame for years. However, he stumbled onto a new career path when he joined the Breaking Bad cast as Saul Goodman, who earned his own prequel spin-off called Better Call Saul, before leading his own action flick called Nobody.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence led a successful stand-up career that turned into a successful TV career with his hit sitcom, Martin, in between starring in movies like Do the Right Thing and Boomerang. In 1995, he played Det. Marcus Burnett, for the first of multiple times in Bad Boys and even went on to play a cop in a few more overt comedies, namely Blue Streak and Big Momma's House.

Ryan Reynolds

For years, even after starring in more earnest thrillers like Smokin' Aces and Safe House, it seemed like Ryan Reynolds' defining performance would forever be the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder, which paved the way for him to star in more raunchy comedies like Waiting... or Just Friends. However, that would change in 2016 when he led Deadpool, which is still very much on the side of silly but is also as action-packed as any other comic book movie.

Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson quickly became a favorite in the comedy landscape for his hilarious performances in shows like I Think You Should Leave, Veep, and Ted Lasso. He would later go on to impress audiences in Amazon Prime's action-packed time travel movie The Tomorrow War opposite Chris Pratt, as the lead of the 2021 horror-comedy movie Werewolves Within, and in Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31.

Keanu Reeves

As the star of franchises like the John Wick movies and the Matrix films, in addition to favorites like Speed and Point Break, Keanu Reeves is one of the most prolific action stars in cinema history. Thus, it is sometimes hard to believe that he is the same actor who, excellently, played one-half of the titular duo from the Bill & Ted movies.

John Goodman

John Goodman began rising to prominence on the groundbreaking sitcom Roseanne as Dan Conner (whom he would reprise in the revival series The Conners). However, he has managed to cover just about every genre you can think of throughout his career, including action films like Kong: Skull Island and Atomic Blonde.

Emily Blunt

It might seem like a stretch to call Emily Blunt a comedy star, but she did find her breakthrough film role with a hilarious scene-stealing performance in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. She would later prove she could play someone with a rougher exterior when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the thrilling time loop movie, Edge of Tomorrow, and in Denis Villeneuve's stunning Sicario.

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis is one of the most treasured comedic actors of his time, from his days at SCTV starring alongside Dave Thomas as the McKenzie Brothers (who led their own 1983 movie, Strange Brew), to appearing in films like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In the middle of those comedy classics was a role in Walter Hill's dystopian "Rock 'n Roll fable," Streets of Fire.

Bill Burr

Bill Burr used to mock the Star Wars movies in some of his stand-up bits, which gave The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau a funny idea to bring him into the galaxy far, far away. He cast the Massachusetts-born comedian on the series as a mercenary named Migs Mayfield, which Burr has since recognized as one of the highlights of his career.

John Leguizamo

Despite getting his start as a stand-up comedian, many of John Leguizamo's earliest acting roles have actually been in action movies, including Die Hard 2 and Executive Decision. In addition to more humorous credits, like To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar and the Ice Age movies, more thrillers would come his way, such as the John Wick movies and Violent Night.

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson may be closely associated with comedies like Bottle Rocket, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander, but the actor has diversified his talents over various styles. He has even tried his hand at the action genre a few times, most notably in Behind Enemy Lines, No Escape, and Disney+'s MCU-canon series, Loki

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks' first major show business breakthrough was a sitcom called Bosom Buddies, which led to roles in comedy films like Bachelor Party and Turner & Hooch. It was his Oscar-winning roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump that opened the door for him to star in intense dramas like the acclaimed war movie Saving Private Ryan and the sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas.

Val Kilmer

Some of Val Kilmer's most iconic roles include Iceman in Top Gun, Doc Holliday in the Western movie classic Tombstone, and the title role of Batman Forever. However, his breakthrough films were the ridiculous spy parody, Top Secret!, and the college comedy, Real Genius, in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis rose to fame as Jackie Burkhart in the That '70s Show cast and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy before acquiring A-list fame. Her action movie credits, namely the video game movie adaptation Max Payne and the Wachowski's ambitious sci-fi adventure, Jupiter Ascending, have not been her most esteemed efforts, but we will still count them.

Randall Park

Randall Park is best known for leading the sitcom Fresh off the Boat, his hilarious cameo on The Office as "Asian Jim Halpert," and for hit comedy movies like The Interview and Neighbors. He has also become a staple of the comic book movie genre with his role in the MCU as Agent Jimmy Woo and as Dr. Shin in the Aquaman movies.

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf started making a name for himself when he was a teen as Louis on the Disney Channel original comedy series, Even Stevens. He went on to make a Hollywood breakthrough in the Transformers movies, which led to his roles in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and, eventually, David Ayer's 2014 war drama, Fury.

Malin Akerman

Before she became the first actor to play Silk Spectre II in live-action in 2009's Watchmen, Malin Akerman rose to fame in comedy movies like 2007's The Heartbreak Kid and shows like Children's Hospital.

Jim Belushi

Just like his late older brother, John, Jim Belushi broke out on Saturday Night Live. Unlike John, Jim achieved a brief career in action movies, such as Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Principal, and Oliver Stone's Salvador.

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine was already an Oscar-winning movie star when he was cast as the lead of the hit sitcom, McHale's Navy. Eventually, he would appear in more earnest action-oriented titles, such as a made-for-TV adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, John Carpenter's Escape from New York, and 2010's RED.

Here’s the thing: I love Con Air. I was blown away by the all-time great action movie when I first saw it as a kid back in 1997, and 28 years later, I’m just as obsessed with it. Even though some things will never make sense about the star-studded action flick, there’s so much to love. You’ve got one of the wildest Nicolas Cage characters, an amazing John Cusack performance, and quite possibly the most ruthless group of villains of all time led by John Malkovich’s Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom.

Though Cyrus is quite possibly one of the most charismatic, intelligent, and meanest bad guys of the ‘90s, I don’t think he’s the worst of the worst aboard the “Jail Bird.” Sure, he’s the ringleader of it all and adds more notches to his kill count than anyone else in the movie, but there are some runaways on the plane that are far more rotten. Let me explain…

Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom

While it is true that Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom orchestrated the whole hijacking, killed an ungodly number of people, and has a rap sheet longer than just about anyone in Con Air, it’s argued in the movie that he’s a “true product of the system.” It doesn’t absolve this show-stealing villain of his crimes, but it’s all he’s ever known.

The 11 inmates killed during his stints in prison, three riots, and two escape attempts won’t put him on the “nice” list, but unlike some of his co-conspirators and fellow passengers, John Malkovich’s utterly insane character did at least have standards. Despite having “killed more men than cancer,” Cyrus despises assalters, has no time for white nationalists, and is incredibly loyal to those who have his back (just don’t turn against him).

Nathan ‘Diamond Dog’ Jones

Nathan “Diamond Dog” Jones, Ving Rhames’ militant domestic terrorist in prison for blowing up an NRA meeting, is nearly as charismatic and devilish as Cyrus, and he also has quite the bite. One of the orchestrators of the prison transport plane takeover, Diamond Dog is pretty much The Virus’ right-hand man. And despite being a very, very bad man, his charm, wit, and smile make it hard to hate on him too much.

Yeah, he kills a lot of folks, adds several more felonies to an already impressive list, and makes life a living hell for Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage), but again, it’s hard to keep this dog down.

Earl ‘Swamp Thing’ Williams

Earl “Swamp Thing” Williams (M. C. Gainey) is one of the hijackers we learn the least about in Con Air. Outside of being a skilled pilot (and knowing how to properly remove a plane’s transponder) and fellow inmate, nothing much is said about him before or after he hitches a ride in Carson City. However, his crazy sense of humor, facial hair, and general disdain for authority put him in the middle of the pack as far as terribleness goes.

Joe 'Pinball' Parker

I miss the days when Dave Chappelle would randomly show up in movies like You’ve Got Mail and Con Air, because he had a perfect batting average in the late ‘90s. Though Joe “Pinball” Parker doesn’t get a whole lot of time in the movie before he gets crushed by the landing gear and ends up smashing through that old dude’s car, he does play a key role in taking over the plane.

The serial arsonist catching a fellow inmate on fire kickstarts the whole takeover of the plane, and him quickly grabbing a guard’s keys allows the more violent offenders to escape their cages. If he’d kept his mouth shut (and that balloon of fuel and matches) in his stomach, Cameron Poe would have made it home on time.

Francisco Cindino

Francisco Cindino (Jesse Borrego) is only in Con Air for a short while before he gets turned into a pile of ashes by Cyrus Grissom, but this guy had it coming. A South American drug lord and terrorist who helped finance the whole operation, Cindino made the mistake of trying to double-cross one of the most ruthless men to ever go through the United States Penal System.

William 'Billy Bedlam' Bedford

Okay, now it’s time to talk about the bad of the bad when it comes to Con Air villains. First up is William “Billy Bedlam” Bedford (Nick Chinlund), a man with absolutely no redeeming qualities. He’s not bright, he’s not funny, he’s not nice, and he has one of the most disturbing reasons for being in prison in the first place.

This guy didn't kill his wife after catching her having an affair, but instead drove four towns over to her family's house where he killed her parents, her brothers, her sisters, and even the dog before it was all said and done. Plus, he didn't put the bunny back in the box when Cameron Poe politely asked him to leave his stuff alone.

John ‘Johnny 23’ Baca

Danny Trejo may be a badass in real life, but his character in Con Air was one depraved sicko. John “Johnny 23” Baca, whose name would be “Johnny 600” if the authorities knew how many women he had assaulted before being caught, even has a tattoo representing each of his victims on his arm.

The serial assaulter, who mostly just looked scary and made multiple threats to Guard Sally Bishop (Rachel Ticotin) on the flight, showed not even a sliver of remorse from start to finish, which made him one of the worst of the worst on “Jail Bird.”

Garland ‘The Marietta Mangler' Greene

Steve Buscemi’s Garland Greene is introduced as “The Marietta Mangler” when he is brought aboard the plane like Hannibal Lecter halfway through Con Air, and instantly becomes one of the most insane and unforgettable convicts on the escape path. While the man responsible for countless murders does seem to be one of the nicer convicts on the flight (at least on the surface level), that's far from the case.

Despite his friendly demeanor, keen observation skills, and ability to point out irony in the worst of times, I can’t set aside the fact that Greene bragged about driving through multiple states wearing a victim’s head like a hat. But his successful escape at the end of the movie does have me bummed we never got a Con Air sequel.

So, Who's The Worst?

If Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom isn’t the worst of the worst from Con Air, then who is it? Well, after thinking long and hard about this, I firmly believe that it’s Billy Bedlam who is the sickest, most depraved, and unlikable convict aboard the plane. Not only did he kill his wife’s family (and dog) so that she would suffer even more, and not only was he a chicken shit throughout the movie, but he also messed with Cameron Poe’s attempt to do the right thing and ruin his surprise for his daughter.

Johnny 23 and Garland Greene weren’t far behind, but Billy Bedlam was just the worst…

Bonus: DEA Agent Duncan Malloy

Before I go, I just have to point out that DEA Agent Duncan Malloy (Colm Meaney) has to be the biggest jerk in Con Air and possibly in any ‘90s movie. It’s partially his fault that everything got chaotic in the movie, and his “AZZ KIKR” license plate gives off some serious inferiority complex like he’s Kirk Millhouse sleeping in a racing car on The Simpsons. However, his introductory line of “this is spectacular” when describing his car is one of the best parts of the movie.

I know Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom is a terrible guy who deserved to go out by getting crushed by some random piece of equipment off the Las Vegas Strip, but there’s no denying he’s one of the best villains of all time.

Hollywood lost a true legend today, as it was announced that David Lynch had died at the age of 78. The experimental and incredibly creative filmmaker was deeply beloved, and his films and shows have influenced so many over the decades. Now, as we mourn this loss, Steven Spielberg, Kyle MacLachlan, Nicolas Cage and more are posting their tributes to the director and honoring the impact he left on film and television.

Both Steven Spielberg and David Lynch are legendary filmmakers, and the Jaws director admires the Twin Peaks creator greatly. In fact, he cast Lynch as John Ford in The Fabelmans back in 2022. In a statement published Variety, Spielberg noted that role and his relationship with the director, saying:

Like Spielberg, Nicolas Cage honored the late filmmaker with a statement about how brilliant he was. The actor worked with Lynch on the 1990 movie Wild at Heart, and in a statement published by Deadline, he called the director a “singular genius in cinema.” Also referring to Lynch as “one of the greatest artists of this or any time,” Cage explained:

Along with Cage, Kyle MacLachlan shared kind words about his frequent collaborator. Posting a series of images that seemingly span across decades, the actor reflected on his decades-long relationship with Lynch in a long Instagram post. The two worked together on the 1984 underappreciated adaptation of Dune, one of the best movies of the ‘80s, Blue Velvet, and one of the best sci-fi shows ever, Twin Peaks.

To commemorate all of that and what the director meant to him, MacLachlan wrote, in part:

Overall, the outpouring of love for Lynch and his filmography has been immense. He made such a big impact and influenced so many filmmakers, and his legacy will live on forever through his work.

An example of that work is Blue Velvet, which James Gunn posted a photo of as he wrote the following tribute to the Eraserhead director on Instagram:

Iconic director and actor Ron Howard noted his love for Lynch too. The Apollo 13 director specifically mentioned the Mulholland Drive director’s love for experimentation, writing the following in a tribute on X:

Ocean’s Eleven director Steven Soderbergh also paid tribute to Lynch by focusing on his “influential but impossible to imitate” work. In an interview with The AP, he complimented the director’s brilliant mind and filmography, writing:

The tributes aren’t even close to stopping there either. Many actors, performers, directors and more took to social media to share their love for David Lynch while grieving his death. Here are some of them:

• "David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse wearing a fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish)" - Patton Oswalt via X
• "This is a monumental loss. One of the most influential artists of all time. Nobody ever did it like David Lynch and nobody ever will again." -Kat Dennings via Instagram
• "Never been so sad about someone I never met I really loved him" -Colin Jost via Instagram
• "Visionary rebel David Lynch died today. His films changed the way many of us see the world. His lens, his choices, and the groundbreaking way he approached film have left an indelible imprint on this world." -Mayim Bialik via Instagram

Overall, the outpouring of love for David Lynch is immense, and there’s no denying just how big of an impact he left on the world of film, television and those who worked with him and loved his work.

We here at CinemaBlend send our condolences and thoughts to Lynch’s loved ones during this difficult time.

The Academy Award for Best Actor has been handed out every year since 1929 — fun fact, it was awarded to German actor Emil Jannings for not one but two acclaimed roles, in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 86 actors. But while taking home that coveted statuette is definitely a career highlight for any performer, the honor does add a little extra pressure on the actor's next project. Will it be as beloved and acclaimed as the role that won them the gold? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actors did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Cillian Murphy

After the enormity of portraying famed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's billion-dollar blockbuster Oppenheimer, and taking home the 2024 Oscar for Best Actor in the process, Cillian Murphy went small for his next film — literally. In the 2024 adaptation of Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, Murphy returned to his native Ireland to play Bill, a quiet coal merchant and father of five internally struggling with the harsh realities of the infamous Magdalene Laundries. While Murphy didn't replicate the awards dominance of Oppenheimer with SMTLT, his internal and affecting performance was widely praised by critics.

Joaquin Phoenix

After four nominations throughout his decades-spanning career, Joaquin Phoenix finally took home that Best Actor statue in 2020 for his engrossing portrayal of the nihilistic clown Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker. Following that iconic role, Phoenix next appeared in the 2021 Mike Mills dramedy C'mon C'mon, an improv-heavy performance that saw the actor play a middle-aged radio journalist tasked with babysitting his nephew (Woody Norman) while on the road for work. Phoenix was nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance at the Gotham Awards, and the film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 Independent Films of the year.

Will Smith

Will Smith had quite an, um, eventful evening when he took home the Oscar for Best Actor in 2022 for King Richard after two prior nominations (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness). Winning an Oscar means that a spotlight is already bright on an actor, but the added publicity from the ceremony means his post-slap comeback would be even more scrutinized than usual. His follow-up was 2022's Emancipation, in which he played a runaway slave in 1860s Louisiana. Though the drama received mixed reviews overall, Smith won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance.

Anthony Hopkins

Though he's garnered six Oscar nominations across his illustrious acting career — with his most recent win being for 2021's The Father — Anthony Hopkins' first Academy Award was for that scene-stealing villain, psychiatrist turned serial killer Hannibal Lector in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. Following up such an iconic performance is no small task and unfortunately, Hopkins' next film, 1992's Freejack opposite Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger, was a sci-fi dud, bombing both with critics and audiences. During an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Hopkins himself called the film "terrible."

Leonardo DiCaprio

Five-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio had a bit of "always the bridesmaid" syndrome where the Academy Awards were concerned, until he finally took home the Best Actor Oscar for his emotionally raw and physically punishing performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 2019 Western epic The Revenant. His next big-screen role was, graciously, a bit less cold and blustery, trading the frosty American Midwest for starry Los Angeles in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The latter received 10 Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including a nod for DiCaprio's individual work.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had already taken home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing a Civil War soldier in the 1989 war drama Glory, but he got his first big Best Actor win for portraying corrupt LAPD officer Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day. His next performance was another memorable Denzel role: as the title character in the 2002 Nick Cassavetes-directed drama John Q, which saw Washington play a desperate father who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a heart transplant. Alas, despite some praise for Denzel's performance, the film itself boasts only a 26% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Robert De Niro

Six years after taking home the Best Supporting Actor statue for The Godfather Part II, Robert De Niro got his Best Actor win for his iconic and intense work as boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. A year later, De Niro put away the boxing gloves and picked up the Bible to play a Roman Catholic monsignor in 1981's True Confessions, opposite fellow The Godfather great Robert Duvall. Though reviews for the neo-noir were largely positive, the National Review's William F. Buckley, Jr. panned it: "Robert De Niro is badly miscast. He is never entirely convincing."

Matthew McConaughey

After acclaimed turns in 2011's Lincoln Lawyer and 2012's Magic Mike, the so-called "McConaissance" was officially solidified a year later with Matthew McConaughey's Oscar-winning portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a cowboy diagnosed with AIDS, in the biopic Dallas Buyers Club. Despite not having nearly as much screentime, the actor's next performance was just as memorable: a chest-thumping, meme-inducing extended cameo as Mark Hanna in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street.

Tom Hanks

Beyond being one of the most beloved actors of all time, Tom Hanks also holds a piece of cinema history: he's one of only two actors to win back-to-back Academy Awards for acting. Yes, that means after taking home the Best Actor Oscar for his heart-wrenching performance as HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in 1994's Philadelphia, Hanks struck Oscar gold yet again with his very next performance, as the titular lead of 1995's Forrest Gump.

Rami Malek

Rami Malek belted his way to an Oscar as legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the glossy 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. His first post-award performance also revolved around his voice — voice acting, that is, as Malek portrayed a mountain gorilla named Chee-Chee in the 2020 fantasy-adventure film Dolittle, with his future Oppenheimer co-star Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doc. The family-friendly flick received abysmal reviews from critics, with Courtney Howard of Variety writing: "What should have been an awe-filled adventure quickly curdles into an awful one, thanks to a pedestrian formula and the filmmakers' fixation on fart jokes."

Adrien Brody

In 2003, Adrien Brody made Oscar history when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at age 29 for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama The Pianist, becoming the youngest actor ever to win in that category. Later that year, he followed up his historic win with the musical crime comedy The Singing Detective, about a mystery writer (Robert Downey Jr.) who relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations. The film scored a 39% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx had one hell of a 2004, serving up not one but two award-worthy performances: He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as soul great Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray and also received a Best Supporting Actor nod that same year for his work in the crime film Collateral. It would be near-impossible for any performer to hit that kind of stratospheric high again, especially with Foxx's follow-up Stealth — the 2005 military action flick co-starring Josh Lucas and Jessica Biel was dubbed a "stink-bomb" by Roger Ebert.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Acting legend Daniel Day-Lewis deservedly holds the record for the most Best Actor awards ever, with three wins out of six nominations, but his first was for playing Christy Brown, a writer-artist born with cerebral palsy, in the 1989 drama My Left Foot. And though he would later follow that iconic role up by playing famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Bill the Butcher, his immediate next performance was as an Irish-American dentist traveling around Argentina in the forgettable 1989 dramedy Eversmile, New Jersey.

Jack Nicholson

The first of three Academy Awards for the legendary movie star, Jack Nicholson's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest performance as Randle McMurphy nabbed him the Oscar in 1976. Later that year, he would star as cattle rustler Tom Logan opposite Marlon Brandon in the Arthur Penn-helmed Western The Missouri Breaks. Coming hot on the heels of not only his own Oscar win but also Brando's for The Godfather, the film was highly anticipated — however, it failed to live up to those expectations and became a notorious critical and commercial flop.

Marlon Brando

One of the most iconic cinema stars of all time, Marlon Brando was nominated for eight Oscars across his decades-spanning career. He won two, the first being for his electrifying role as prizefighter turned longshoreman Terry Malloy in the 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, widely considered one of the greatest acting performances of all time. His next role as Napoleon Bonaparte in the historical romance Désirée didn't win him any awards, but Variety reportedly called his performance "a masterful exhibition of thesping" at the time.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman had already solidified himself as a vibrant and vital supporting actor with films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, Magnolia and 25th Hour, but his Oscar-winning portrayal of author Truman Capote in 2005's Capote officially upped him to leading man status. He would receive another three Oscar nominations in the years to follow, but his very next role was more of a crowd-pleaser than an awards grab: as arms dealer Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III.

Russell Crowe

Audiences and critics alike were very much entertained by Russell Crowe's performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 Rome-set epic Gladiator, which earned the New Zealand-born star the Best Actor Oscar at the 73rd Academy Awards. Crowe would go up for the same award only a year later, for his portrayal of American mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biographical drama A Beautiful Mind, but he lost to Training Day lead Denzel Washington.

Jean Dujardin

Jean Dujardin rose to international fame with his performance as George Valentin in the 2011 silent movie The Artist — his Oscar win was a historic one, as he was the first French performer to ever take home the Best Actor statue. Despite his newfound Hollywood status, however, the actor-comedian returned to his native France for his next film credit: The Players, a 2012 comedy anthology co-starring Gilles Lellouche, with each man also directing and writing a segment.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage's filmography is a wild ride, from critically acclaimed fare like Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and Adaptation to straight-to-video shlock. Thankfully, his 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas falls into the former category, winning Cage the Best Actor Oscar for his role as alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson. (Funnily enough, it's not one of Nic Cage's favorite Nic Cage movies.) His next movie was the 1996 action thriller The Rock, which also won Cage an award: the Best On-Screen Duo statue at the MTV Movie Awards alongside co-star Sean Connery.

Eddie Redmayne

British star Eddie Redmayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama The Theory of Everything. But that career high was immediately followed by a career-low: a Golden Raspberry Award — a parody award honoring cinematic failures — for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in the galactically goofy 2015 space opera Jupiter Ascending. Even he admitted his performance was bad!

Sidney Poitier

A movie icon through and through, Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier made history in 1964 as the first Black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. A year later, he moved on from that seminal role with the 1965 Cold War thriller The Bedford Incident, as a civilian photojournalist aboard a U.S. Navy ship that gets into some messy business with a Soviet submarine. Though Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that "the whole thing transcends plausibility," other critics clearly disagreed — the movie has an 86% Certified Fresh rating.

Sean Penn

After a trio of Best Actor nominations, Sean Penn's haunting performance as a grieving, vengeful father of a murdered Boston girl in the Clint Eastwood-directed neo-noir Mystic River finally got him the Academy Award in 2004. Later that year, Penn starred in yet another crime thriller, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, based on the story of the POTUS's would-be assassin Samuel Byck in the mid-1970s. The latter film didn't share the award-worthy gravitas of Mystic River, though, per Rotten Tomatoes, critical consensus said: "A fascinating true story and compelling Sean Penn performance are worthy compensations."

Roberto Benigni

Few Oscar wins were as memorable as Roberto Benigni's, what with presenter Sofia Loren's passionate declaration of "Roberto!" to Benigni's literal victory lap up to the stage. The Italian actor-director took the Best Actor trophy in 1998 for the Holocaust tragicomedy Life is Beautiful, making him the first honoree for a non-English language performance. A year later, he would appear in a very different movie: French-Italian-German comedy adventure flick Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar opposite Gérard Depardieu and Christian Clavier, which was a box office success.

Al Pacino

One of the most influential actors in modern cinema, Al Pacino was nominated for eight Academy Awards — including for The Godfather films, Serpico and the crime drama classic Dog Day Afternoon — before finally taking home the Best Actor statue for playing Frank Slade in 1992's Scent of a Woman. That Oscar win gave viewers an extra critical eye on his next role, as Nuyorican criminal Carlito Brigante in the De Palma crime drama Carlito's Way, however, reviews were largely positive.

Ben Kingsley

It's a daunting thing playing any famous figure in movies based on true stories, especially when the subject is so famous, that they need only one name. Case in point: Gandhi, the 1982 bio epic about the Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough and performed by English actor Sir Ben Kingsley. Luckily for them, the film won Best Picture and Kingsley took home the Best Actor award. Though his next project, the 1983 film adaptation of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal, didn't get Oscar acclaim, it was well-received by critics.

Humphrey Bogart

It seems surprising that Humphrey Bogart didn't win the Oscar for a role as iconic as Rick Blaine in the 1942 classic Casablanca. No, it would actually be another eight years until ol' Bogie won Best Actor for The African Queen, starring as Canadian mechanic Charlie Allnut opposite Katharine Hepburn's Methodist missionary Rose Sayer. His post-Oscar follow-up was the 1952 noir Deadline – U.S.A.: Variety said "Bogart gives a convincing performance all the way" as a big-city newspaper editor who exposes a gangster's crimes.

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker was ferocious and formidable as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland, one of his best performances that got the performer a Best Actor Oscar in '07. Later that year, the actor appeared in the ensemble crime drama The Air I Breathe alongside Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and Brendan Fraser. Though reviews for the film were overwhelmingly negative, several singled out Whitaker's performance. Annabelle Robertson at Crosswalk wrote: "Whitaker, in particular, is extremely sympathetic in his role—a feat that is all the more outstanding after his turn as the evil dictator in The Last King of Scotland."

Dustin Hoffman

After three Best Actor nods, New Hollywood icon Dustin Hoffman received his first Academy Award for playing half of a couple going through a devastating divorce (alongside an equally great Meryl Streep) in Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. His next movie role is just as much of a classic: as Michael Dorsey-slash-Dorothy Michaels in the beloved 1982 comedy Tootsie, which nabbed the star yet another Best Actor nomination.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman was nearly unrecognizable in his prosthetics-heavy performance as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 2017 historical drama Darkest Hour. The Academy Awards honored the quintessential Oldman role with a Best Actor award, his second nomination after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His next role was just as transformative, if not nearly as acclaimed: Oldman voiced an artificial intelligence in the 2018 sci-fi thriller Tau, which holds a woeful critical rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Laurence Olivier

One of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in film history, cinema icon Laurence Olivier starred in and directed adaptations of three of the Bard's best-known words, Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948) and Richard III (1955), and earned a Best Actor Oscar for playing the Prince of Denmark. After portraying one of the most famous characters of all time, Olivier switched it up by cameoing as a no-name policeman in the 1951 drama The Magic Box, a "distinguished" bit of stunt casting that The New York Times praised as a delightful "extravagance."

Casey Affleck

Casey Affleck's devastating performance as a father grieving the loss of his three children in Kenneth Lonergan's gut-wrenching Manchester by the Sea clearly broke the collective hearts of the Academy, which voted to give the Boston-bred performer the Best Actor award in 2017. That year, he would tackle another exploration of love and loss with the supernatural drama A Ghost Story, which was a hit with critics — Richard Brody of The New Yorker included the title on his list of the decade's best films.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser experienced quite the career comeback when he took the Best Actor Oscar for his acclaimed performance as a morbidly obese, housebound English teacher in the 2022 Darren Aronofsky-directed melodrama The Whale. He kept those high-profile projects going with his next film credit, as attorney W. S. Hamilton in Martin Scorsese's stunning American crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing, thanks to new content hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest movie to arrive on the big screen is Shawn Levy's Deadpool & Wolverine, which broke records at the box office. While Deadpool 3 had lots of cameos, the film originally wanted Nic Cage's Ghost Rider. What's more, there's even concept art of that return.

Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order recall a slew of pre-MCU blockbusters that arrived in theaters in the early aughts. That includes Cage's pair of Ghost Rider films, with some moviegoers still hoping he'll appear in upcoming Marvel movies. Some concept art from Deadpool 3 just arrived on Instagram, featuring both that character and Ben Affleck's Daredevil in the mix. Check it out below:

Well, my FOMO is through the roof. How epic would it have been to see two more pre-MCU superhero actors return to their roles to take on the Deadpool Corps.? In the end that final Deadpool & Wolverine battle was left for its title characters, while the Void's Resistance helped fight Cassandra Nova's forces. Moviegoers were thrilled to see the return of Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Garner, and Dafne Keen, as well as Channing Tatum's surprise role as Gambit.

So why didn't we end up with Nicolas Cage and Ben Affleck joining the cast of Deadpool 3 as Ghost Rider and Daredevil respectively? Ryan Reynolds spoke to EW about this, revealing how the budget was a major factor in paring down the film's list of cameos. In his words:

That makes sense. Part of what made the Deadpool franchise so revolutionary was that the first two movies were produced at a fraction of the cost of other superhero flicks. Deadpool & Wolverine was already a much more expensive beast, and Nicolas Cage and Ben Affleck likely would have both required big paychecks for their returns. Alas, it never came to be. During the same interview, Reynolds revealed how close we got to seeing Ghost Rider, offering:

What a bummer. Of course, Deadpool & Wolverine had plenty of other thrilling cameos throughout its runtime. That includes Chris Evans playing a foul-mouthed Human Torch instead of Captain America. Still, it would have been fun to see Nicolas Cage get back into Ghost Rider for the blockbuster.

The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains significant spoilers for the movie Longlegs. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

When we look back at the cinema of 2024, Nicolas Cage’s transformation into the titular horror show in Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs will be reflected upon as one of the year’s most memorable performances. As he has been known to do throughout his career, Cage takes some wild swings portraying the satanic serial killer Dale Kobble, and it’s deeply effective at generating chills. So how did this standout turn come about? Per the writer/director, the most important thing he did was just to stay out of Cage’s way.

Today being Halloween has inspired reflection on one of the best horror movies of the year and my conversation with Osgood Perkins and Longlegs star Maika Monroe this past summer during the film’s virtual press day. During the interview, I asked about Perkins’ relationship with the actors digging into his work on the page, and in the case of Nicolas Cage’s performance, he likened his approach to directing the actor to trying to direct the actions of a dangerous, wild animal. Said the filmmaker,

Osgood Perkins left Nicolas Cage with the responsibility of finding out who Dale Kobble was based on his screenplay, and the results are obviously intense. His physical transformation is one thing, but his high-pitched voice – seemingly an attempt at being cuddly – and extreme emotional swings make him special levels of arresting (and let’s not forget his insane ambitions as a musician either). You don’t want to take your eyes off him on screen because he is liable to do anything.

Expanding beyond his approach to working with actors, Osgood Perkins explained that he treats filmmaking as a true collaborative endeavor that sees a lot of talented people all contributing and working toward the same goal. He understands that being a director means having the final say when it comes to important decisions, but he says that he emphasizes everyone on his set having initiative, agency and impact. He continued,

It’s hard to argue with the results. I gave Longlegs a five-star review for CinemaBlend, but the film earned widespread acclaim from critics and it ended up being one of the most significant box office hits of the summer. If you haven’t seen it or are itching to see it again, it is certainly appropriate Halloween viewing, and you can now easily watch it from the comfort of your own home. The movie isn’t on any subscription streaming services, but it is available on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, and you can purchase or rent it digitally from outlets including Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango at Home and Apple TV.

While the wait continues for news about where things stand with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 on the upcoming Marvel movies slate, a different version of the Web-Slinger is set to snag the spotlight on the small screen. The Nicholas Cage-led Spider Noir, the upcoming TV show that will play on MGM+ and be streamable to those with a Prime Video subscription, follows a variation of Spidey who’s an aging private investigator in 1930s New York City. Naturally every hero in a story needs a villain to clash with, and the actor who’s been cast to play the main antagonist in Spider-Noir is an outstanding choice.

According to Variety, Brendan Gleeson is believed to be playing Spider-Noir’s chief baddie. Although the character isn’t named in the article, it was rumored in July that Nicholas Cage’s Spider-Man will be investigating a murder involving Silvered Manfredi, a.k.a. Silvermane, leader of the Maggia crime family, as well as femme fatale Yuri Watanabe, who became Wraith in the comics. So it’s entirely possible that Silvemane is whom Gleeson will be playing, but whether that’s the case or not, this is a great get for Spider-Noir.

This will be Gleeson’s second time acting in a comic book-related project, the first being Joker: Folie à Deux, which drops in just a few weeks on the 2024 movies schedule. Genre-wise though, Gleeson is best known for roles like Mad-Eye Moody in three of the Harry Potter movies and Bill Hodges in the TV adaptation of Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes. The actor was last seen performing in a live-action project in 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin, which netted him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination.

In addition to Gleeson and Nicolas Cage, who previously voiced a different take on Spider-Man Noir in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Spider-Noir cast includes Lamorne Morris as journalist Robbie Robertson, Li Jun Li reportedly playing a nightclub singer (perhaps this is the show’s Yuri Watanabe, and Abraham Popoola reportedly playing a World War I veteran “who is looking for an opportunity to get ahead.” Behind the scenes, Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot are showrunning and executive producing the series, having developed the series with Into the Spider-Verse directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, as well as Amy Pascal.

Spider-Noir began shooting in Los Angeles last month, but it remains to be seen when the series will premiere to the public. In addition to it and the in-development Spider-Man 4, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse remains on the horizon, but it’s still without a release date too after being pulled from this year’s theatrical lineup. Amazon also once had another Spider-Man spinoff show being put together called Silk: Spider Society, but it was scrapped in May.

In our lifetimes, the only turn of a century we’ve witnessed is the move from the 1990s to the 2000s. It was an exciting time in the world of Hollywood, between superhero franchises like the Spider-Man and X-Men trilogies making comic books mainstream and adaptations of book series like Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter films becoming some of the biggest blockbusters of the decade. But, many of the best movies of the 2000s wouldn’t have been possible without the star power of several actors of the time. 

In celebration of an incredible decade in movies, we chose the quintessential film of 32 actors of the 2000s. Check it out: 

Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl)

Johnny Depp was unquestionably one of the biggest stars of the 2000s after previously making a name for himself throughout the 1990s, most notably with his work with Tim Burton and in the independent film space. Looking back, the No. 1 movie of his was his debut as Captain Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003. The actor helped create the best fumbling pirate we’ve ever seen before, going on to make four more of its kind. Fans are still talking about this movie and even writing and signing petitions for the actor to reprise the role. 

Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge!)

Nicole Kidman was one of the most in demand actresses of the 2000s, so much so that she did an average of three movies a year across the first half of it. Her greatest movie of the decade is actually the first of them from that time period: Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! The jukebox musical was a commercial success, award season darling and we’ll always go back to her role as Satine. 

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) 

After Robert Downey Jr. was in the public eye for addiction-related setbacks, he found a way to make a comeback throughout the 2000s with a ton of great movies like Zodiac, Good Night and Good Luck and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. But the best of the best was his turn as Iron Man in 2008. 

Samuel L. Jackson (Unbreakable) 

Samuel L. Jackson was a major fixture of the 1990s, between saying “Hold onto your butts!” in Jurassic Park, starring in Pulp Fiction or starring with Bruce Willis in Die Hard with a Vengeance. His prominence as an actor remained strong in the 2000s with all sorts of roles, including as Mace Windu in Star Wars, but his greatest is in M. Night Shyamalan’s unique superhero film, Unbreakable. 

Scarlett Johansson (Lost In Translation)

Scarlett Johansson was a major star in the 2010s, especially as an Avenger, but she really blossomed into this throughout the 2000s, between movies like Ghost World, Match Point, The Island or The Prestige. The performance that really carried the audience’s love for her throughout the decade was in Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation alongside Bill Murray, where they play unlikely friends who meet in Tokyo. 

 Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)

After Will Smith had a hugely successful decade in the '90s between Bad Boys, Independence Day and being The Fresh Prince, Smith notably took his career a step further in the 2000s. He took on a number of more dramatic roles like Ali and Seven Pounds during this time that deserved the actor an Oscar, but there’s no movie more special than 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. In the film, he helped tell the true story of a homeless salesman and his son. 

Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)

“What, like it’s hard?” Of course, the defining Reese Witherspoon movie of the 2000s is Legally Blonde! The 2001 movie continues to be one of the most quotable comedies and Elle Woods is a beloved heroine in modern pop culture. As a whole, Witherspoon was serving throughout the decade by also starring in things like the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line or the rom-coms Sweet Home Alabama and Just Like Heaven.

Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds)

The 2000s was a huge decade of career expansion for Brad Pitt after his heartthrob beginnings in critically-acclaimed '90s flicks such as Interview with a Vampire, Seven, Fight Club. The cream of the crop for a very busy Pitt during this time has to be Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, where he played Lt. Aldo Raine in an alternate history story about World War II. 

Jim Carrey (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

The stardom of Jim Carrey was deep in the fixture of 2000s movies through a ton of big movies like How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty or Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. But one of the actor’s most dramatic roles, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, stands as his best of the decade. The sci-fi romance imagines a world where one could have a procedure to forget their ex, and asks big questions about memory and love. 

Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) 

Kate Hudson has called Almost Famous “the beginning of everything” for her, and it really was career-wise for the actress. When the movie came out in 2000, it started a massive decade for her that would have her in flicks like How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, The Skeleton Key and Nine among a ton of roles. The Cameron Crowe movie had Hudson playing Penny Lane, a groupie of a '70s band. 

Tom Hanks (Cast Away)

The 2000s marked Tom Hanks third decade as a movie star and it was another solid time for the actor, particularly for more serious roles. While there are a lot of close contenders like Road To Perdition, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal, his greatest movie of that time was Cast Away. Hanks gives an all-time performance as a man who gets stranded on an island alone. We never knew we could cry over a volleyball before the 2000 movie. 

Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!)

Meryl Streep turned 50 in 1999. While that historically has spelled bad news for female actors in Hollywood, Streep proved she could still be one of the biggest stars in her middle-aged years with a ton of performances in the 2000s. From Adaptation to The Hours, The Devil Wear Prada, Lions For Lambs, Doubt, Julie & Julia, Fantastic Mr. Fox and It’s Complicated, this time was an embarrassment of riches for the actress, but if we had to pick one, the iconic Mamma Mia! is the one we’re still singing all the words to. 

Denzel Washington (Training Day)

Denzel Washington’s place as one of the most impressive living actors was apparent in the 2000s through a productive decade full of critically-acclaimed performances. The ultimate Washington movie of the time we’ve chosen is 2001’s Training Day, which in turn earned him his second Oscar win. But, the actor made a ton of great hits during this time like Remember The Titans, Antwone Fisher, Man on Fire, Inside Man, American Gangster and The Great Debaters. 

Tom Cruise (Minority Report) 

After Tom Cruise starred in movies like Rain Man, Top Gun, the first Mission: Impossible and Magnolia in the '80s and '90s, he continued to be a major actor into the 2000s with a ton of fresh roles. His best of the decade is arguably one of his two collaborations with Steven Spielberg, Minority Report. The sci-fi flick has Cruise’s character on the run for a crime he has not committed in an imagined 2054. 

Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich)

Julia Roberts made a string of romantic comedies in the ‘90s, but when the new century came along, she diversified her career with a lot more dramatic roles. Her best movie during this time was in 2000’s Erin Brockovich. The biographical movie from Steven Soderbergh about groundwater contamination also earned Roberts an Oscar for Best Actress. 

Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity) 

It felt like Matt Damon was in all the movies back in the 2000s after he and Ben Affleck wowed Hollywood with Good Will Hunting in 1997. The actor was in 20 movies across this decade, but the best of them was 2002's action thriller The Bourne Identity. He would go on to star in an entire trilogy as Jason Bourne. 

Leonardo DiCaprio (Catch Me If You Can) 

Leonardo DiCaprio became a verified movie star when he said “I’m king of the world!” in 1997’s Titanic. As he moved into his mid-twenties and thirties in the 2000s, he started working closely with Martin Scorsese in a series of movies (Gangs Of New York, The Aviator and The Departed). However, his best comes from Steven Spielberg with Catch Me If You Can. The biographical crime comedy had DiCaprio playing a con man alongside Tom Hanks. 

Kirsten Dunst (Marie Antoinette)

Kirsten Dunst got her start as a child actor in the '90s in movies such as Jumanji and Interview with a Vampire before starring in films like The Virgin Suicides and Drop Dead Gorgeous at the tail end of the '90s. Dunst officially became an adult in the 2000s and made tons of movies, from being Mary-Jane Watson in the Spider-Man movies to being in Bring It On. Her second collaboration with Sofia Coppola as the famed French archduchess is her best work of the decade. 

Adam Sandler (Punch-Drunk Love)

Even though the 2000s didn’t quite top Adam Sandler’s amazing Saturday Night Live star into movie star turn, he was in all sorts of memorable movies in the 2000s. The one that sticks out the most is his collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson with 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love. Unlike his screwball comedies, it’s an earnest rom-com that may not have been popular, but it is unforgettable. 

Will Ferrell - Anchorman

Will Ferrell’s acting career really took off in the 2000s in a massive way. He left Saturday Night Live in 2002 after seven seasons on the sketch show and became one of the funniest Hollywood movie stars. His most hilarious leading role has to be in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, where he played a 1970s news host. 

George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven)

It’s not easy to choose the best George Clooney role of the 2000s given the sheer amount of solid movies he starred in at the time. From his Coen Brothers’ movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? to his Oscar-winning role in Syriana. But, it simply wouldn’t have been the 2000s without Clooney leading the pack in Ocean’s Eleven (and the trilogy it became). He’s effortlessly cool as the master plotter of a casino heist. 

Gwyneth Paltrow (The Royal Tenenbaums) 

Paltrow was in a load of films during this decade, coming off her Oscar win in Shakespeare In Love. But, among a cast including Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston and Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot stole the show and therefore finds a spot as her No.1 2000s role. 

Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) 

The 2000s was an iconic moment for Halle Berry, who became Storm in X-Men and starred in Catwoman and as a Bond girl in Die Another Day. Her best role is her Oscar-winning lead in 2001’s Monster’s Ball. The movie is about a widower who unknowingly begins a relationship with a corrections officer who assisted in the execution of her late husband. 

Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) 

Christian Bale started the 2000s as the star of American Psycho and ended it as the star of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies alongside Johnny Depp. But unquestionably, Bale’s performance in one of the most seminal movies of the 2000s, The Dark Knight, is our pick. His second outing as Bruce Wayne/Batman is elevated when Heath Ledger’s haunting Joker struts into Gotham. 

Jennifer Garner (13 Going On 30) 

During the 2000s, Jennifer Garner became famous for starring in the TV show Alias. But at the same time, she established herself as a movie star, too. What caught our hearts the most was her role in 13 Going On 30 alongside Mark Ruffalo. It’s a blast to see the actress play a teen in an adult’s body. 

Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder) 

The 2000s had Ben Stiller becoming a movie star in his own right, between the hilarious Meet The Parents in 2000, to Zoolander and Along Came Polly. His best movie of this era was one he wrote, directed and starred in. Tropic Thunder is a hilarious satirical action comedy with a star-studded cast that we’re still laughing about over a decade later. 

Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind) 

After becoming a familiar face for his roles in the '90s, Russell Crowe became an all-time great actor of the 2000s by starring in Gladiator, Cinderella Man, American Gangster, Master and Commander and 3:10 To Yuma. If you’ve seen his performance in 2001’s A Beautiful Mind, you likely never forgot Crowe’s inspired performance as schizophrenic mathematician John Nash. 

Nicolas Cage (Adaptation) 

Nicolas Cage’s third decade in movies was a busy one that had him in more big-budget movies than ever between National Treasure and Ghost Rider, but Spike Jonze’s Adaptation takes the prize as he played twin brothers, one struggling with writer’s block and the other deciding to copy his brother’s ambitions.

Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice) 

Keira Knightley turned fifteen when the 21st century began, but it wasn’t long before she became a movie star – leading movies like Bend it Like Beckham, Pirates of the Caribbean and Love, Actually. The defining Knightley performance of her first decade as a big-screen actress was in the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 

Jack Black (School of Rock) 

Jack Black had a massive decade in movies in the 2000s, but one cannot forget how perfect he was in the role of Dewey Finn in School of Rock. The 2003 movie allowed the actor to flex his musician muscles and unique charm as he played a failed rock star turned imposter substitute teacher. 

Drew Barrymore (50 First Dates)

Drew Barrymore had the chance to come into her own as a movie star in her adulthood in the 2000s following being a child actor in films like E.T. and Firestarter. She had an awesome decade that included Charlie’s Angels, He’s Just Not That Into You and Whip It, but her role with Adam Sandler as a forgetful love interest remains one of her best and most hilarious (yet heartwarming) roles. 

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige) 

Hugh Jackman started his career in theater in the '90s, but in the 2000s he quickly became a big star. Sure, he became Wolverine for the first time in the X-Men movies, played Van Helsing and starred in Kate & Leopold, but it was particularly special to see his role in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige. He’s amazing as a magician who feuds with Christian Bale’s character over the ultimate magic trick. 

Anyone else feeling nostalgic for the decade of the 2000s, now? It was an amazing time for great movies and the movie stars we saw everywhere like the people above. 

As with many years prior, several upcoming films will bring us tales of joy and woe with animated adventures, heartfelt family films, people overcoming horrific circumstances, fun comedies and more. But, something that many people love to see is a story that focuses either on people who do intriguing work or who have some true magic in their lives. As such, let’s take a look at 32 famous actors who’ve given us that by playing a wizard, witch or magician in some popular movies. 

Nicole Kidman (Practical Magic, Bewitched)

An Oscar winner who’s notably portrayed a witch twice in her big screen efforts is Nicole Kidman. Seeing as how Practical Magic 2 is now being worked on in earnest, you probably remember her 1998 hit with Sandra Bullock easily. But, do you recall her turn as a real witch hired to play a fictional one in the 2005 comedy, Bewitched?

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige)

We actually don’t get as many magicians on screen as one might think, but Hugh Jackman did us all a solid when he starred as one in the 2006 Christopher Nolan movie, The Prestige. If you somehow still haven’t seen this Edwardian London-set thriller, do yourself a favor and track it down. You won’t regret it.

Ian McKellen (The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit Trilogies)

This list would be nothing without mentioning maybe the most famous wizard in all of literary history, who made his major motion picture appearances courtesy of Sir Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings movies, as well as The Hobbit trilogy. Gandalf the Grey cannot be ignored, and not just because he’s so much taller than most of his traveling companions!

Neve Campbell (The Craft)

Fledgling teen witches count just as much as those who’ve been witchin’ for decades, which is why Neve Campbell’s eventual power-hungry sorceress, Bonnie, is on this list. The Craft is a teen horror classic that’s worth a watch.

Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus)

Here’s another classic movie witch who’s hard to forget. Bette Midler really dialed it up for her performance as Winifred Sanderson in 1993’s Hocus Pocus (along with fellow witchy Sanderson sisters Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker), and the results were so memorable that a Disney+ sequel was made nearly 30 years later.

Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me)

We’ve come to another magician, but Jesse Eisenberg’s modern-day character, Atlas, is an illusionist who works in Las Vegas in a popular group…who are really teamed up to steal lots and lots of money. It was so popular that a sequel followed.

Alexandra Daddario (Mayfair Witches)

If anything, we could trust late horror author Anne Rice to pen an intriguing tale that keeps us glued to the pages of a book. It also turns out that White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario can help turn that story into a can’t-miss TV show, as she’s done by playing witchy lead Rowan on Mayfair Witches.

Cher (The Witches Of Eastwick)

Cher has excelled in pretty much every role she’s ever had, and that includes widowed mother/witch Alex in The Witches of Eastwick. This one gets wild but you’ll never regret watching her (or her co-stars Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson) as things go from weird to worse.

Nicolas Cage (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

We all know that Nicolas Cage has played a multitude of roles during his decades-long career, so it should be little surprise that he’s portrayed as a user of magic. Before you get too deep into wondering whether or not there’s a real difference between a wizard and a sorcerer, just know that Cage played the latter in this 2010 film that takes some inspiration from a segment in Disney’s animated classic, Fantasia.

Tia And Tamera Mowry (Twitches)

Sure, there have already been people on this list who played witches along with other really famous people, and those co-stars weren’t listed as the main star, but guess what: none of those other people starred with their twin, which is the case with Tia and Tamera Mowry in the beloved Disney Channel original film, Twitches. Did this one get a sequel? You bet it did!

Meryl Streep (Into The Woods)

No one can deny the prowess or ability of 21-time Oscar nominee (and three-time winner) Meryl Streep to deliver an amazing performance. The same can be true for when she played the character known simply as The Witch in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Into the Woods (and, yes, got an Academy Award nomination for her work).

Steve Carell (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone)

And here we have another Las Vegas magician in Steve Carell’s Burt Wonderstone. Instead of watching him steal money, we follow along in this comedy as Burt attempts to reunite with his former partner (Steve Buschemi) so they can gain more traction than a competing magician (Jim Carrey) whose “tricks” mostly involve odd feats of endurance and real pain.

Edward Norton (The Illusionist)

You’d be forgiven for confusing this film with the above-mentioned The Prestige, as they’re both about old-timey magicians and released in 2006. However, this film stars Edward Norton as our…illusionist, and is more of a romantic mystery than Nolan’s thriller.

Lucy Lawless (Salem)

So many evil witches, so little time. The WGN TV series, Salem, was loosely inspired by the Salem witch trials, and focused on a lead who was trying to bring the Devil to earth. But, that wasn’t even the character played by Xena actress Lucy Lawless, as her Countess Palatine Ingrid von Marburg was simply a different and far more evil witch. Can’t anyone use magic to just like, keep everyone’s house clean so we can all have more free time?

Guy Pearce (Death Defying Acts)

It’s actually rather surprising that we’ve gotten this far into the list without coming to someone who portrayed a famous real-life magician, so we can thank Guy Pearce for that. His 2007 supernatural romance, Death Defying Acts, saw him play Harry Houdini.

Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)

Even for those who don’t follow along with the amazing antics on every season of the anthology series, American Horror Story, it would probably be a little shock to find out that the show has cast several witches during its long run. The subtitle of this 2013 season tells you that it was dedicated to witchy goings-on, and double Oscar nominee Angela Bassett had a notable guest role as real historical figure/Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau.

Sebastian Stan (The Covenant)

The actor who would come to be known as Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes, Sebastian Stan, played a very different type of super-powered character in 2006, when he played teen warlock Chase Collins in the fantasy film The Covenant. It also features stars like Taylor Kitsch and Chase Crawford, who also get their magic on in the film.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust)

As we’ve seen from the entry on Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer had already played a witchy woman by the time she appeared in the 2007 movie Stardust, as an evil (of course) witch looking to retrieve a fallen star to have ever-lasting beauty and youth.

Debbie Reynolds (Halloweentown)

Here’s another Disney Channel classic, which follows a young witch who realizes she has powers on her 13th Halloween, only to be transported to the titular town where supernatural creatures can live without human interference. The late Debbie Reynolds plays her grandmother (also a witch), and returned for all three sequels.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

This 2016 MCU entry stars Benedict Cumberbatch as an injured doctor who involves himself in the business of fighting evil with sorcery after losing the use of his hands and heading to a mysterious enclave to look for healing. Cumberbatch has appeared as the character in a number of Marvel franchise films now, including a 2022 sequel to his original solo film.

Mila Kunis (Oz The Great And Powerful)

Here’s a movie filled with magical beings that’s often forgotten. Oz the Great and Powerful saw Mila Kunis, along with Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, play witches of, yes, that Oz who have to determine if the Kansas magician who’s turned up in their realm is really the “great” wizard they’ve been waiting for.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone)

This is another actor and portrayal that this list would basically be pointless without. Though Daniel Radcliffe has gone on to portray a wide variety of good and bad guys in the past decade or so of his career, for many he will always be known as the boy wizard, Harry Potter.

Selena Gomez (Wizards Of Waverly Place)

What? Did you forget that Selena Gomez, the Grammy-nominated singer and star of the Hulu hit show Only Murders in the Building, got her first taste of fame on a Disney Channel series? Well, shame on you for not being able to remember that Gomez led Wizards of Waverly Place through a magical four-season run as the supernaturally gifted teen, Alex Russo.

Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)

Do we have yet another MCU stalwart for you? You bet we do! Elizabeth Olsen first took on the role of Scarlet Witch during the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, later starring in several more of the franchise films and the critically lauded Disney+ series, WandaVision, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

Sam Neill (Merlin)

While there have certainly been a number of movies and shows that have given us versions of the mythical wizard known as Merlin, NBC’s two-part, 1998 miniseries saw Sam Neill use his recent Jurassic Park stardom to show us an adventurous tale of Merlin’s life before the birth of King Arthur.

Rosamund Pike (The Wheel Of Time)

Many of the portrayals we’ve discussed (and will continue to discuss below) have dealt with book-to-screen adaptations that are based on already incredibly popular novels, and The Wheel of Time is certainly one of those. The Amazon series, which takes its story from the 14-book franchise by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, stars Rosamund Pike as powerful magic user Moiraine Damodred, who takes a group of young adults on a journey to save the world.

Julia Ormond (Witches Of East End)

This Lifetime series, which ran for two seasons from 2013 to 2014, followed the women of the Beauchamp family, witches in a small, fictional seaside town who are led by their mother, Julia Ormond’s Joanna, and have to fight to save themselves and the people of their town from dark magical forces.

Emma Thompson (Beautiful Creatures)

This 2013 Gothic fantasy romance focuses on a teen who will learn on her 16th birthday whether or not her witch tendencies will be for good or ill. Two-time Academy Award-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson plays her mother, Sarafine, who didn’t raise the girl but wants her on that dark side really, really badly.

Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Suspiria)

Considering that Tilda Swinton has played everything from a gender-switching hero in Orlando to the MCU’s version of the Ancient One in the aforementioned Doctor Strange and the archangel Gabriel in Constantine, is anyone surprised to know that she’s played some witches? In both The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe and Suspiria she was very good at playing magical ladies who wanted (or already had and wanted to continue) to do some very bad things, but the latter film has WAY more serious and bloody fun for those who watch.

Jack Black (The House With A Clock In Its Walls)

Frequent funny man Jack Black as a warlock? That’s what the 2018 fantasy The House With A Clock In Its Walls delivers, as the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star portrays a boy’s magic uncle who lives in the house of a dead evil wizard and is trying to discover the location and purpose of a clock the previous dastardly owner hid in the walls.

Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald)

While much of the Harry Potter franchise featured either actors Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as the beloved Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, when the prequels were made, a younger Albus Dumbledore was needed and they called in Jude Law to fill the wizard’s very important and legendary shoes.

Julianne Moore (Seventh Son)

Last but certainly not least on our list of famed actors who’ve brought wizards, witches and magicians to life is lauded talent Julianne Moore. The Academy Award winner starred in 2015’s Seventh Son as the evil witch Mother Malkin, who escapes after many years imprisoned and looks to restore her full power by any means necessary.

As you can see, many of our most beloved stars have portrayed wizards, witches and magicians!

Longlegs has been one of the summer 2024 movie schedule's biggest success stories, and a key to that success was Nicolas Cage's character being hidden from audiences for so long that we didn't know what he looked like. And apparently, the film's editors had their own long-awaited experiences when they saw Cage in his full Longlegs look.

Featuring a story about a serial killer being hunted down by the FBI, Longlegs has a lot going for it as one of the best movies of the year, but Cage as the villain is the main draw. With every trailer that was released, people questioned more and more what he looked like – until Cage's villain was revealed not that long before the movie was released. I had the chance to talk to the editors behind the movie, Greg Ng and Graham Fortin, and I asked about their experiences in seeing Cage in costume. They had varied reactions. Ng, at first, didn't even know for sure that it was Cage underneath the costume and the makeup, saying

Graham Fortin, on the other hand, had his own private 'what the-' moment when he watched the footage and immediately had to text one of the producers to share his thoughts on how 'amazing' Cage looked as Longlegs. Said the filmmaker,

There are some iconic horror movie villains out there. We could talk about classic villains like the legend that is Michael Myers or maybe Freddy Krueger (and the most brutal kills from the Nightmare on Elm Street series). Or we could bring up scary modern villains, like The Entity from It Follows or even Paimon from Hereditary, one of the best A24 horror movies.

But Longlegs is another kind of horror – one that almost feels a little too realistic and creepy in so many ways. Neon, the film behind Longlegs, made sure to keep Cage's look in the movie as a secret, and Ng had a lot of praise for the marketing team behind the film. He said that all he wanted was for them to 'not ruin' the surprise that was Cage in the movie. Ng explained,

Longlegs had an impressive opening box office weekend despite taking second place behind Despicable Me 4 (which was expected). It has only continued to be popular despite major releases like Deadpool & Wolverine and Twisters.

In a world saturated with action films, superhero movies, and many more, it's always lovely to see a film like Longlegs stand out amongst the competition and scare the heck out of audience members. And yes, Cage's costume and makeup still live in my mind, and I'm still utterly terrified that he'll pop out in the middle of the night, so thanks for that, Longlegs.

The following article contains SPOILERS for Longlegs.

Longlegs is one of the biggest surprises of the year. The horror film directed by Oz Perkins is receiving spectacular reviews, including CinemaBlend's Longlegs review giving it a perfect score, and it's leaving audiences unsettled even after the credits roll. The movie is being lauded for a lot of things, from Longlegs’s controversial twist ending to the incredible performances by standout actors Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage. The marketing for the film also has been top notch, and Neon just released the recording of Cage’s bone-chilling song from the movie. Honestly, it wasn’t something I needed to hear again.

While there are a number of buzzy 2024 horror films landing in theaters this year, Longlegs is having an impressive box office run, and seemingly came out of nowhere. Part of this can be attributed to the clever marketing, which has released posters on X calling the film “Number One” at the box office, with an addendum for Despicable Me 4. Trailers for Longlegs have also purposefully obscured Nicolas Cage’s appearance, creating more anticipation for the horrifying transformation the actor makes.

Now Neon has upped its game and released the unsettling song performed by Cage in the film. You can check it out from YouTube below:

The song is titled “Fire, Fire, Fire, Hiss,” which is creepy enough before you even start listening to it. There are some traditional sonic elements, but the lyrics and muttering make the song hard to listen to. The film called the song the “last known musical recording by Dale Ferdinand Kobble before the voices took over.”

For context, Kobble is Cage’s character in the film, who calls himself Longlegs when he leaves clues for the police after committing gruesome murders. Before becoming a serial killer, Kobble was a musician who later suffered a psychotic break, leading him to kill.

Even though Neon is saying the song was written “before the voices took over” the character was definitely suffering when releasing the song. It is terrifyingly creepy and not something I would casually listen to in my free time. However, it is perfectly fitting for the film, using glam rock influences in the chorus. Songs from the genre run through Longlegs, helping to set the tone, so it's in line with the musicality of the movie. It’s definitely an achievement creatively, but I can’t get over how eerie it sounds. Certifiably nightmare fuel.

However, this creepiness is precisely why horror fans everywhere are turning out to see Longlegs. The serial killer subgenre of horror is something less explored by today’s filmmakers, despite being incredibly popular in the '90s. Longlegs feels reminiscent of films like Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs that seek not only to scare, but also intrigue in the form of a mystery. Longlegs feels incredibly refreshing, and people are returning to the theaters to see it. If you love a good scare, this song should convince you to check it out, as the tone of “Fire, Fire, Fire, Hiss” is sustained throughout the film.

You can see Nicolas Cage in Longlegs in theaters nationwide now. It features one of the Raising Arizona actor’s best performances, so definitely check it out on the big screen while you can. For more information on other exciting titles heading to cinemas this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.

The $2 billion lifetime box mark for all their movies is a major milestone for actors and only the most popular ones have reached that level. The full list, per The Numbers, includes a lot of names you'd expect, and a few you wouldn't. Many on the list play major characters in the MCU, though we've limited those somewhat here, to get a fuller picture. So here it is, our list of actors who've topped the $2 billion mark all-time at the box office.

Daniel Radcliffe

There are some huge franchises out there, and few are bigger than the Harry Potter series, so naturally, the actor who played its protagonist, Daniel Radcliffe, is going to find his way onto this list. With a box office total climbing north of $2.6 billion, Radcliffe has supplemented Harry Potter with big movies like Now You See Me 2 and The Lost City.

Tom Cruise

For four decades Tom Cruise has been one of, if not the, most bankable stars in Hollywood. The biggest chunk of the more than $4 billion he's earned has come from the Mission: Impossible movies, but almost every one of his movies, from Top Gun to War of the Worlds and beyond are usually big money makers. 

Harrison Ford

When you star in two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, you're going to make this list. As Han Solo in the Star Wars movies and as the titular character in the Indiana Jones series, Harrison Ford has been raking in box office receipts for decades.  He's also had big money earners outside those series as well, like the two Jack Ryan movies he starred in, and movies like The Fugitive and the two Blade Runner flicks.  

Tom Hanks

It's hardly a surprise to see Tom Hanks on this list. With a total box office of over $5 billion, Hanks has consistently crushed it in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history. The list of Hanks' best movies includes Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Big, and many more, but the movies that make the biggest contribution to that box office number come from the Toy Story franchise. 

Jack Black

Jack Black movies have brought in more than $2.7 billion. Before you wonder where that has come from, you have to remember just how huge the Kung Fu Panda series of movies have been. They all have collected huge box office numbers. Throw in School of Rock, and the Jumanji series, and all of a sudden, you're climbing in some pretty rarified air. Oh - and it might surprise you that the Super Mario Bros. Movie earned more than a billion on its own.  

Morgan Freeman

Is there a more beloved actor in Hollywood than Morgan Freeman? With movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, and Unforgiven he's proven he's one the best actors, and with huge movies like The Dark Knight trilogy, he's brought in a ton of money, with over $2 billion total. 

George Clooney

There isn't anyone in Hollywood who quite personifies a classic movie star than George Clooney. He's brought in more than $2 billion lifetime, with only one superhero movie on his resume (and a forgettable one at that, with Batman & Robin). Of course, the Ocean's movies have been his biggest box office successes, but he mostly has just put out great movie after great movie. 

Liam Neeson

While Liam Neeson isn't alone in actors we'd like to see in the MCU one day, he's still earned bank at the box office. He's appeared in a number of other big franchises, like Star Wars, The Dark Knight, and The Chronicles of Narnia, and the franchise he's most known for, the Taken movies. 

Steve Carell

It may surprise you to see Steve Carrell on this list until you remember how huge the Despicable Me franchise is. Those movies print money and Carell has been a monster piece in that puzzle. Of course, he's also had huge hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the Anchorman movies. 

Meryl Streep

It's hard to argue against Meryl Streep being the finest actress of a generation, and perhaps even ever. With more than 20 Oscar nominations, she's built a career that is unparalleled. She has also managed to kill it at the box office despite not being a part of any huge franchises. The Mamma Mia! movies are the closest she's come to something like that, which makes her $2 billion+ that much more impressive.  

Eddie Murphy

Year after year Eddie Murphy just cranks out hit after hit. Sure, he's a long way away from his peak as a comic in the '80s, but you can't argue against the results, with over $3.5 billion in total receipts. The biggest contributors, of course, are the Shrek movies. 

Johnny Depp

Of course, Johnny Depp has to be on this list. Depp led one of the biggest franchises of the early 21st Century with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He's had a lot of hits outside of his work for Disney, but the role of Jack Sparrow has translated to a big chunk of his more than $3.6 billion total box office. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence hasn't been in the MCU proper, but in full disclosure, she did appear in the X-Men franchise when it was outside of the MCU proper. So there is that. Still, she's also got another franchise under her belt with the Hunger Games movies. Outside of that, she's known for taking on serious roles in movies like Winter's Bone and Mother. It all adds up to more than $2.6 billion.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro has been one of the most famous actors in Hollywood for more than 50 years and with that has come a lot of success at the ticket window. in total, his movies like Cape Fear, The Godfather II, Killers of the Flower Moon, and, the films that have contributed the most to his more than $2.6 billion lifetime box office sales, the Meet The Parents movies. 

Emma Watson

As one of the key cast members of eight Harry Potter movies, it's hardly a surprise to see Emma Watson on this list. That franchise alone has made billions. She also appeared as Belle in the Disney live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, which made a cool billion as well. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

The great Leonardo DiCaprio is another actor on this list who has built remarkable box office numbers – well over $2 billion – without the benefit of a major franchise. It helps to have Titanic on your resume though. 

Julia Roberts

Since the late '80s, Julia Roberts has been box office gold. In all, her movies have made more than $2 billion, and without the benefit of a major franchise, aside from the first two Ocean's movies. Instead, she's built her legendary career on movies like Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, and Eat Pray Love.

Bruce Willis

There are few action stars as loved as Bruce Willis. Before he retired due to aphasia and dementia, he not only starred in the Die Hard series, but he consistently churned out hits like Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, and one of his biggest movies, Armageddon. He also popped in two of the Expendables movies, earning an overall $3 billion or so. 

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson may have started out in professional wrestling, but he's owned Hollywood since making the transition to acting. In addition to the Fast and Jumanji franchises, Johnson's box office totals include two Mummy movies and a slew of other hits. It all adds up to well over $3 billion. 

Owen Wilson

There is a small caveat here. Owen Wilson has technically appeared in the MCU, but it was on the Disney+ show Loki and he's never been in one of the movies, so nothing in the MCU is reflected in his box office numbers. What does count is movies like Meet The Parents, Night At The Museum, and The Cars franchise. It all adds up to more than $2.3 billion.

Adam Driver

While he may not have the MCU on his resume, Adam Driver does have three huge Star Wars movies on it. That's a great way to pad your box office numbers. Driver is hardly a one-hit wonder though. House of Gucci, BlacKkKlansman, and others all add up to more than $2.3 billion.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock has put together an impressive career that's spanned over three decades. Despite not starring in many major franchises aside from Ocean's 8 and Minions. Still, over her career, she's generated more than $2.6 billion in box office totals. Impressive, to say the least. 

Kevin Hart

Everyone loves Kevin Hart, but it's sort of surprising just how successful his movies have been over the years. He's in rarified air here with over $2.4 billion in tickets sold to movies he's appeared in. It certainly helps that's his popped up in the Fast franchise, as well as the Jumanji movies, of course. 

Jim Carrey

Other than Batman Forever Jim Carrey has avoided major franchises over the years. Still, at one point, he was Hollywood's highest-paid actor because his movies almost always make big bucks, bringing in more than $2.9 million overall. Movies like Bruce Almighty and the Sonic movies have contributed greatly to that haul. 

Will Ferrell

What can you say about Will Ferrell that hasn't already been said? Frankly, he's the premier comedic actor over the last couple of decades. With movies like the Anchorman series, Elf, Step Brothers, and maybe his biggest contributor to his more than $2.8 billion in receipts, the Lego franchise, Farrell movies continue to clean up in theaters. 

Will Smith

Before the infamous "slap" at the Oscars in 2023, Will Smith was one of America's most beloved movie stars. His reputation has taken a hit, but his box office numbers over the years don't lie. With franchises like Bad Boys and Men In Black, in addition to a huge number of other hits over the years, Smith's total take is among the highest ever at over $3.8 billion. 

Keanu Reeves

You don't need comic book movies when you've got monster franchises like John Wick and The Matrix. Those two series have contributed a huge part to Keanu Reeves' amazing box office numbers, which stretch over $2 billion now. Throw in one of the Toy Story movies and a handful of other big hits and you're on top of the world. 

Denzel Washington

Until The Equalizer series, Denzel Washington had never even starred in a sequel, much a franchise. He has still managed to rack up more than $2.5 billion in box office numbers though. Washington has been one of the world's most famous actors for decades and has won a slew of awards, including two Oscars, so it's hardly a surprise, but it's still darn impressive. 

Brad Pitt

If Brad Pitt's Ocean's franchise co-star George Clooney isn't the most famous movie star in the world, Brad Pitt might be. Like Clooney, he's mostly built his box office record without the help of any major franchise, aside from Ocean's. It is worth mentioning that he had that infamous cameo in Deadpool 2, but that's still technically outside of the MCU. 

Adam Sandler

He's not everyone's cup of tea, sure, but Adam Sandler has put together one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood history with his unique brand of humor. Movies like Big Baddy, Mr. Deeds, You Don't Mess with the Zohan and Grown Ups have all tucked away huge amounts of money, as have others, meaning Sandler's overall box office is up over $2.8 billion. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck does benefit from his time as Batman in the ill-fated DCEU, which has since been replaced with the reboot DCU. Those movies, despite mostly middling reviews, did all make a lot of money. When you add in movies like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Gone Girl, it's easy to see how his total haul adds up to more than $2.4 billion. 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg might be the most surprising person on this list, believe it or not. Then you remember he was in some of the Transformer movies, and think about how much the Ted and Daddy's Home movies made, and you realize it's not actually all that shocking. In total, his movies have brought in well over two and a half billion dollars. 

Nicolas Cage has an extensive and unique catalog of roles in his career, with just the past few years including projects like Dream Scenario, Renfield and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Next up Cage is portraying the titular serial killer in the thriller Longlegs, which is set to hit theaters July 12. Critics have screened the movie, which sees an FBI agent discover a personal connection to the Satanic murderer she’s investigating, and they are downright unnerved by the upcoming horror movie.

Maika Monroe stars as Lee Harke of the FBI, and along with Nicolas Cage, Longlegs also stars Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee and Dakota Daulby in the movie that debuted at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In our sister site GamesRadar’s review of Longlegs, Neil Smith rates the movie a perfect 5 out of 5, noting that a little bit of Cage goes a long way in this authentically scary dance with the devil. The critic writes: 

Sophie Butcher of Empire gives it 4 out of 5 stars, telling moviegoers to submit to the demonic darkness for a horrific sensory experience. The director immediately lets you know what you’re in for in the opening sequence, Butcher explains: 

William Bibbiani of The Wrap calls Osgood Perkins the modern master of dread, with his fourth project being the “scariest-looking film in recent memory.” Fear and oppression are the only emotions present in the atmosphere of this disquieting film, the critic says, writing: 

Jacob Oller of Paste gives Longlegs an 8.5 out of 10 user rating, saying he needed a shower after his screening, as the movie drenches you in evil that can be felt in your hair, on your clothes and buzzing in the back of your mind. Nicolas Cage is “unforgettable” as the killer, Oller says, writing: 

Nick Schager of The Daily Beast agrees with the critics above, calling Longlegs the most terrifying movie of the year. Nothing makes total sense in the best way possible, Schager says. In his words: 

Since receiving a perfect score when it debuted on Rotten Tomatoes, Longlegs has dipped only slightly to 91% Fresh from the opinions of 80 critics. If you want to see Nicolas Cage in what is by all accounts an unsettling and horrifyingly devilish experience, check your local theater for viewings starting Friday, July 12, and also be sure to check out our 2024 movie release calendar to see what else is coming. 

It’s safe to say that Nicolas Cage is a one-of-a-kind actor. If you look back at Cage's best movies, he has the talent to transform himself into any character that no performer can replicate. However, would all of that change with the rise of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry? The veteran actor expresses how “terrified” he is about the role A.I. could have as an artist.

Nicolas Cage’s latest serial killer role in Longlegs plans to terrify audiences left and right. As for the Oscar winner himself, Cage had some terrifying worries of his own when his publicist had to remind him in the middle of his interview with The New Yorker about having to get two scans done for his upcoming projects after the press day. This sparked the National Treasure actor to get real about what worries him about these A.I. scans:

The Con Air star's concerns are completely understandable in terms of how his career could potentially be impacted. Many Hollywood actors worry about how their likenesses will be used after the 2023 Writer’s Strike raised concerns about A.I. interfering with the work of artists.

The Matrix actor Lambert Wilson was an “eyewitness” to the power of A.I. when he had to record a number of facial expressions and say as many words as possible for his avatar in the Enter the Matrix video game. As Wilson gave his likeness away to the video game two decades ago, he worried how it would be used without his knowledge. The same was said with voice actors filing a lawsuit after their voices were used in various projects without their consent or compensation.

It has been reported that Disney+’s WandaVision has already used A.I., with background actors getting their faces and bodies scanned for digital replicas, but they gave no permission for their likeness to be used in other projects. Nicolas Cage expressed concerns about how scary that would be for the same thing to happen to him once he gets scanned:

Like Nicolas Cage, other actors have voiced their opinions of A.I. use like Star Trek’s William Shatner. His open-minded response was that he’d want permission for his likeness to be used in future projects, but he’d leave the decision of A.I. usage to his family after his death. Ashton Kutcher’s viral comments about A.I. suggest that he's not worried about its future in the entertainment industry. He believed that the new technology won’t replace the artists but will be a new technological advancement they'll have to work with.

In regards to the idea of being body scanned for future TV and film projects, Nicolas Cage admitted how “terrified” he is of A.I. use and what this could mean for artists going forward. With ethical dilemmas playing into the A.I. usage debate, more concerns like these will be brought forth and hopefully lead to some clarity on A.I.’s true impact on the future of the industry.

Audiences can see Nicolas Cage’s upcoming horror film Longlegs in limited release starting this Friday, July 12. You can also check out our 2024 movie releases for the latest movies coming to theaters and streaming.

Some actors have such distinct talent and wide acclaim that just attaching their name to a movie or TV show is typically enough to intrigue audiences. Such an actor is the impeccable, Academy Award-winning Nicolas Cage, who has a number of projects on our upcoming 2025 movie schedule and beyond that you should certainly keep your eye on. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Nicolas Cage movies we have to look forward to.

The Surfer (May 2, 2025)

Many of the most definitive Nicolas Cage roles see the actor go ballistic on screen in bizarre and challenging ways and those who especially love those kinds of performances may find exactly what they are looking for with The Surfer. According to Variety’s review of the film, Cage stars as the title character — a man facing a mid-life crisis that only worsens after his surfboard is stolen and his attempts to retrieve it lead him down a puzzling slippery-slope of reality-questioning paranoia.

From director Lorcan Finnegan of Vivarium fame and writer Thomas Martin, the psychological thriller premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as its official “midnight movie” selection in May 2024, as Variety also reported. As of February 2025, The Surfer is set to come out in May.

The Carpenter's Son (August 14, 2025)

Having become something of a Scream King in his own right lately — with lead roles in thrillers like the brutal 2018 revenge movie, Mandy, or the somewhat overlooked horror film from 2022, Willy’s Wonderland — It is not too surprising to learn that Cage already has another upcoming horror movie in the works, following the success of one 2024's best horror movies, Longlegs. In May 2024, Deadline reported that he is set to star in The Carpenter’s Son, which bears a particularly intriguing concept: a dark reinterpretation of Jesus’ childhood.

Cage stars as a carpenter living covertly with his family in Roman Egypt, where his adoptive son (played by Noah Jupe), under another mysterious child’s influence, begins to exhibit rebellious behaviors and signs of possessing otherworldly abilities. Grammy-nominated singer and actor FKA Twigs and Dune: Part Two's Souheila Yacoub also star in the film from Egyptian-American writer and director Lofty Nathan, which started producing in Greece in the summer of 2024.

The Gunslingers (TBD)

It was not until 2022 when Cage, who has starred in a number of action movie favorites during his career, made his first contribution to the traditional Western genre with Butcher’s Crossing before leading another called The Old Way just a year later. In May 2024, Variety reported that the actor’s third Western, The Gunslingers, is now in post-production.

Cage stars in the supporting role of a “mad genius” named Ben who finds himself in a dusty town called Redemption with a former gunfighter named Thomas Keller (Stephen Dorff), who is seeking just that (“redemption”) when they cross paths with a gang of outlaws who cause Thomas to confront his violent past. Brian Skiba writes and directs The Gunslingers, which also stars Heather Graham — known for her breakout role in Boogie Nights — and Saw movies star Costas Mandylor.

Lords Of War (TBD)

Cage has starred in a few sequels in his day — namely follow-ups to Disney’s fortune-hunting adventure National Treasure, the Marvel Comics-based fantasy Ghost Rider, and Dreamworks’ prehistoric animated comedy The Croods. The next “second chapter” on the actor’s resume is a somewhat unlikely choice: a sequel to the 2005 crime drama, Lord of War.

Titled Lords of War, the new film will see Cage reprise his role as illegal arms dealer Yuri Orlov, who discovers that he has a son (played by Bill Skarsgård) who wants to follow in his footsteps — not as a partner, but as a rival. Deadline reports that BlacKkKlansman’s Laura Harrier has an undisclosed part in the sequel, which Lord of War’s original writer and director Andrew Niccol is returning to pen and helm for Vendôme Pictures. Skarsgård revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the film plans to shoot in 2025.

The Prince (TBD)

Nicolas Cage won an Academy Award for his performance in 1994’s Leaving Las Vegas as a man struggling with his alcoholism. According to Deadline, addiction will also play a role in the upcoming drama, The Prince, which he is set to star in opposite Scott Haze, who leads the cast as a man who faces many a challenge while navigating a “high-stakes world of power, pleasure, and pain” on the road to recovery.

The film is penned by Pulitzer Prize winner and Oscar nominee David Mamet, who is believed to have referred to this project when speaking to podcast host Andrew Klavan about a movie he was writing inspired by the life of Hunter Biden — the son of former U.S. president Joe Biden, whose own struggles with addiction and legal troubles have been widely discussed in recent years. Cameron Van Hoy directs The Prince, which entered production in June and also stars J.K. Simmons, Giancarlo Esposito, and Andy Garcia.

Other Upcoming Nicolas Cage Projects

Even the big screen is not enough for a movie star like Nicolas Cage, who also has small screen projects to take note of.

Spider-Noir (TBD)

Considering how his stage name was inspired by Marvel superhero Luke Cage, it is no surprise that Nicolas Cage is a comic book lover, and he has had the opportunity to bring a few chracters to life in his career, such as his cameo in The Flash as the version of Superman he was cast to play in an unfinished film. However, one of his most acclaimed comic book characters is Spider-Man Noir — an old-school detective-style version of Peter Parker’s alter ego he voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and whom he is set to reprise soon, but not on the big screen.

Variety reports that Amazon Studios is working on a live-action upcoming Spider-Man TV show simply called Noir, which will see Cage play the titular webslinger and private investigator in the 1930s alongside Emmy winner Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson. There is no word yet if the actor will also return to the role in animated form in the upcoming superhero movie, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Considering how busy Nicolas Cage likes to keep himself, there are bound to be more projects featuring the famed actor to look forward to. Therefore, we are destined to spend quite a lot of time in the “cage,” and we would not have it any other way.

Most actors don't just come out of the woodwork and immediately get awards attention, box office success and global stardom. Many start out taking bit parts in big movies or supporting character gigs opposite more successful performers. From Academy Award winners like Charlize Theron and Viola Davis to superhero stars like Tom Holland and Ben Affleck, here are 32 now-famous faces you might not remember popped up in famous movies before they were big. 

Matt Damon

In his movie debut, a very young Matt Damon can briefly be seen in 1988's Mystic Pizza as Steamer Windsor, the younger brother of Adam Storke's Charles, the clean-cut, country-club love interest of fun-loving pizzeria waitress Daisy (Julia Roberts). Steamer is present at an awkward dinner where Charles brings Daisy home to meet the family. 

Viola Davis

In the 1998 crime comedy Out of Sight, which is undoubtedly one of Steven Soderbergh's best movies, Viola Davis has a small role playing Moselle Miller, the wife of boxer Maurice "Snoopy" Miller (Don Cheadle). She would later go on to act alongside her Out of Sight co-star Jennifer Lopez in another crime flick, 2015's Lila & Eve.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The 1992 Martin Brest melodrama Scent of a Woman memorably stars Al Pacino as a blind retired colonel and Chris O'Donnell as the prep-school student hired to watch over him, but it also features Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his earliest performances as a fellow student named George Willis, Jr.

Carey Mulligan

The Bennet household is a bustling one in Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, so much so that you might have overlooked that — along with the likes of Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike and Jena Malone — a teenaged Carey Mulligan is one of the Bennet sisters. (It's just one of many movies that prove Mulligan should be a much bigger star.) 

Elijah Wood

Long before he embarked on a quest to destroy the One Ring as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood was a successful child actor in films like The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Good Son, North and Flipper. However, before those starring roles, the pint-sized performer showed up as "Video Game Boy #2" in Back to the Future Part II.

Octavia Spencer

The 1999 Drew Barrymore comedy Never Been Kissed is jam-packed with unexpected actor appearances, from Jessica Alba to James Franco — together they play a dopey but popular high school couple — to Octavia Spencer. The latter plays a coworker of the main character Josie Geller (Barrymore) at the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Timothée Chalamet

With everything that goes on in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar — you know, that whole part about the astronauts who have to travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new home for humankind — viewers may have forgotten that a fresh-faced Timothée Chalamet as Tim, the teen son of Matthew McConaughey's Cooper. 

Brie Larson

Well before she received an Oscar or donned a superhero cape, Captain Marvel star Brie Larson was a tween actress who had a main role in the short-lived WB sitcom Raising Dad. One of her first big-screen gigs, however, was as a popular Six Chick in the 2004 Jennifer Garner favorite 13 Going on 30. (Don't feel too bad, Mark Ruffalo didn't remember her either.) 

Charlize Theron

If you're a fan of The Wonders, you no doubt remember band members Guy (Tom Everett Scott), Lenny (Steve Zahn), Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) and the bass player (Ethan Embry). However, you may not so readily remember that Charlize Theron is also in That Thing You Do!, as Guy's ex-girlfriend Tina, who leaves him for her dentist. 

Joe Manganiello 

Before making the ladies sweat in the Magic Mike franchise, Joe Manganiello was making Peter Parker sweat for an entirely different reason in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film series, playing the high-school bully Flash Thompson. His character dated Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane before she ended up with Spidey himself (Tobey Maguire). 

Seth Rogen

The titular teen protagonist of Donnie Darko (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) doesn't just have to deal with those disturbing visions of a rabbit-costumed man named Frank. He also has to deal with a pair of high school bullies, one of whom is played by Seth Rogen in his first ever movie appearance. 

Amy Adams

The Steven Spielberg-directed crime comedy Catch Me If You Can featured several now-well-known actresses before they were household names, including Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams. The latter acted opposite Leonardo DiCaprio (played teenage con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.) as Brenda Strong, a young hospital worker who falls for Frank and his fraud. 

Keira Knightley

Given her uncanny resemblance to Natalie Portman, it's only fitting that a teenage Keira Knightley appeared as Sabé, a handmaiden and royal decoy for Portman's Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Even Knightley herself could use a reminder about who she played in the space trilogy!

Michael Fassbender

Years before memorable film roles in Inglourious Basterds, Jane Eyre, the X-Men movies and his Oscar-nominated turn in Shame, Michael Fassbender made his film debut in the 2006 action epic 300. He played the character of Stelios, a young, spirited and highly skilled Spartan soldier fighting under Gerard Butler's King Leonidas.

Sandra Oh

"Gupta? Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. The queen is coming!" It's one of the most memorable lines uttered in The Princess Diaries and it's said by none other than a pre-Grey's Anatomy Sandra Oh. Joining Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in the beloved cast, Oh plays the humorous vice principal at Mia Thermopolis's school. 

Margot Robbie

Before her big breakout in The Wolf of Wall Street — and even longer before she painted the world pink with the phenomenon that is Barbie — rom-com fans got their first introduction to Margot in the 2013 romantic dramedy About Time. Robbie plays Charlotte, a woman that the main character Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) is crushing on before he meets his true love, Mary (played by Rachel McAdams).

Joaquin Phoenix

The 1989 Ron Howard-directed comedy Parenthood already has a stacked cast — Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Keanu Reeves, Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest, to name a few — before you even remember that one of the youngins in the movie is played by a teenage Joaquin Phoenix, then going by his birth name Leaf.

Samuel L. Jackson

It's hard to remember a time when Samuel L. Jackson wasn't a major movie star, but in the 1970s and '80s, the iconic actor was racking up bit parts in big titles, including Eddie Murphy's Coming to America. In the 1988 rom-com, Jackson plays a character known as "Hold-Up Man," an armed robber who has held up the local fast-food restaurant called McDowell's five times. 

Kristen Stewart

Though she has been acting professionally since grade school, Kristen Stewart didn't become a global star until she played moody teen Bella Swan in 2008's vampire romance Twilight. But years before that, she played a memorable part in the 2002 David Fincher thriller Panic Room, appearing opposite Jodie Foster as her character's daughter. 

Dakota Johnson

\Dakota Johnson had her big Hollywood breakthrough leading a beloved book-to-film adaptation, as Anastasia Steele in the erotic Fifty Shades film series. But she actually showed up in another huge movie five years earlier: 2010's The Social Network, as a college coed who spends the night with Sean Parker, played by Justin Timberlake. 

Gabrielle Union

Before she led the Clovers to cheer competition victory in 2000's Bring It On, Gabrielle Union was given supporting roles in '90s teen favorites like 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That. The latter was actually her film debut, in which she appeared as popular girl Katie, a member of Zack Siler's (Freddie Prinze Jr.) friend group. 

Nicolas Cage

Technically, Nicolas Cage wasn't in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. But Nicolas Coppola was — when he made his feature film acting debut in the 1982 coming-of-age comedy, the actor was still going by his birth name. However, the Oscar-winning star would later change his name professionally to avoid nepotism allegations. (He is, of course, the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, and a cousin of director Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman.)

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp memorably made his big-screen debut in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, but movie fans might not remember that a short while later, he also appeared in Oliver Stone's war film Platoon as a young soldier fighting in the Vietnam War alongside the likes of Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Forest Whitaker and Kevin Dillon. 

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has had a prolific acting career ever since she was a tween, starting from when she starred as the young protégée of a hitman in the 1994 action film Léon: The Professional at only twelve years old. Though that was an instantly memorable introduction to the performer, you might have forgotten that only a year later, she worked alongside screen greats like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the Michael Mann-directed classic, Heat. 

Tom Holland

He's most famous for spinning webs as Spider-Man but long before that, Tom Holland was making his film debut (and making audiences weep) in the 2012 disaster drama The Impossible, as a young boy desperately trying to reunite with his family following a horrific tsunami. 

Vince Vaughn

The heartwarming 1993 sports drama Rudy — about a young man (Sean Astin) who dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame — features an ironic pair of film-acting debuts. It was the first movie roles of both Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, playing teaching assistant D-Bob and tailback Jamie O'Hara, respectively. That duo would famously go on to star in the 1996 buddy comedy Swingers. 

Ryan Gosling

Another early football role for a Hollywood heavyweight, a young Ryan Gosling already had some big TV gigs under his belt (The Mickey Mouse Club, Young Hercules) before he appeared as Alan Bosley, the wiry cornerback of T. C. Williams High School's football team in Remember the Titans. And if you remember that locker-room singalong, you know the little Goose had charisma even then!

Mila Kunis

Yes, that is a mini Mila Kunis in Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves — she played a friend of Wayne Szalinski's (Rick Moranis) niece, who throws a house party once it seems like all of the grown-ups have left for the evening. (Instead, the adults have been accidentally zapped to microscopic proportions, naturally.) 

Daniel Craig

Before he was Bond, James Bond, Daniel Craig was Ballard, John Ballard, in the 1998 historical drama Elizabeth. The British actor portrayed a priest-slash-assassin who conspired with the Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston) to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I (played by Cate Blanchett) from the throne. Of course, Bond would never treat the Queen of England that way!

Jake Gyllenhaal

Given that filmmaking is a family business for Jake Gyllenhaal — he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and the younger bro of the great actress Maggie Gyllenhaal — it's not a shock that the actor started young. He made his film debut at age ten in 1991's City Slickers, playing the son of Billy Crystal's character Mitch Robbins. 

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington is best known for playing crisis management expert Olivia Pope in the ABC drama series Scandal, but more than a decade earlier, she showed off her fix-it skills as Chenille Reynolds in Save the Last Dance, helping Julia Stiles's character Sara better integrate into their South Side high school and hip-hop culture at large. 

Ben Affleck

Like his famous best friend Matt Damon, Ben Affleck also began his acting career as a child and while eagle-eyed moviegoers no doubt remember spotting him in early-'90s films like School Ties and Dazed and Confused, they may have forgotten his uncredited early cameos, such as "Basketball Player 10" in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. 

In general, I’m all in on Nicolas Cage’s signature brand of weirdness. He might be playing a criminal who wears John Travolta’s face. He may be playing a fictionalized version of himself who gets hired for an eccentric billionaire’s birthday party. Or he might be playing Dracula, himself. Whatever the choice, I’m usually ready for whatever madness Cage has conjured. Only, Longlegs might be too intense. Even with the incredible early reviews – the movie hit 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and is still perfect as of this article dropping – the final look at the serial-killer thriller has me squirming in my well-lit office. And also, the first look at Cage’s transformation is horrifying. 

Here’s the final trailer for the highly anticipated Longlegs: 

Without question, Longlegs gives off intense Silence of the Lambs vibes, with a female FBI agent tracking an elusive serial killer, encountering examples of the occult along the way. To that end, maybe mix in some True Detective Season 1, or a dash of Mare of Easttown, with Kate Winslet in the lead. Only, the killer that FBI Agent Maika Monroe is hunting will be played by Nicolas Cage, and despite the producers’ claims that they would hide the actor’s complete transformation until the movie actually was in theaters, we get samples of Cage’s look, and his voice, in the final trailer.

They were, however, blink-and-you-miss-them moments. Like, this is Nicolas Cage behind the wheel of a car, screaming:

And I have confirmation that the trailer ends on Nicolas Cage doing God knows what to a doll. I’m beyond creeped out by this transformation. I don’t know if I want to know more about the person that Cage is playing, a serial killer who only signs his letters as “Longlegs.” Something tells me I’m better off not knowing. 

Longlegs director Osgood Perkins is coming off of Gretel & Hansel, a 2020 YA horror movie that received high marks for its visuals and numerous strikes for its storytelling. But Longlegs, so far, has only received universal praise, setting it up for what could be an impressive theatrical debut in July. As one of a handful of upcoming horror movies that CinemaBlend editors have circled on the calendar, Longlegs should add another check to Cage’s bizarre resume. Not as bizarre as the CGI Superman that he played in The Flash. But still pretty weird. 

Look for Longlegs in theaters beginning on July 12.

Nic Cage has come a long way in recent years compared to when he took “crummy” roles in the past. He recently blew critics and audiences away with one of his best performances ever as the star of Dream Scenario. Cage’s luck just keeps getting better as his upcoming serial killer role in Longlegs just debuted with a fresh rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And I’ve got to say, I’m pumped!

We’ve seen Nicolas Cage play a serial killer-type role before in A24’s Dream Scenario when a huge population of people were dreaming that the same biology professor was killing them in their dreams. But, that was more told in dark humor. Cage was also in the real-life crime film Frozen Ground where he played a state trooper trying to catch a serial killer.

This time around, the Oscar winner will portray a hardcore serial killer in Longlegs and it’s making a very good first impression with critics. Its Rotten Tomatoes rating is currently at 100% which means all of the critics who’ve seen it have said nothing but great things about the upcoming horror film. Now this makes me want to add yet another Nic Cage movie to my watchlist.

With only eight reviews of the horror movie so far, many critics are in agreement that Longlegs is one of the scariest films they’ve seen this year or even within the past decade. Fresh Fiction and Inverse critics commended director Oz Perkins for creating a “cinematic freak-fest forged in Hell” and getting “under your skin.” It looks like Longlegs will give audiences unsettling imagery that will stay with them from the first frame to the last. Now, that’s a true horror film if what you see can give you chills throughout. I’m all for it!

Other than Nicolas Cage, Longlegs also stars Maika Monroe who you may remember from the highly-rated Rotten Tomatoes horror film It Follows. She plays the lead in Longlegs as FBI agent Lee Harker who’s assigned to investigate a serial killer, Longlegs, (played by Cage) only to discover occult evidence and a personal link to the killer.

When you watch the trailer of the upcoming horror-thriller film, you can see what the critics are talking about. You really do see a lot of unsettling imagery without knowing what it all means. I also love that you only see Nic Cage’s character for about a millisecond which helps provide a chilling mystique to the character that’s gonna leave us disturbed. That’s truly the best kind of movie trailer if it can leave you wanting more with the limited startling information it gives you.

It looks like critics are loving Nicolas Cage’s newest horror film Longlegs with its debut at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews are loving the movie’s ability to “get under your skin” and are hailing it as the scariest film they’ve seen as of late. If you’re racing to see Longlegs as much as I am, make sure to add the 2024 movie release to your watchlist coming to theaters on July 12th.

If there’s anything more elusive than the MacGuffins presented throughout the National Treasure franchise, it’s the prospects of getting the long-awaited threequel onto the schedule of upcoming Disney movies. Franchise star Nicolas Cage’s remarks on National Treasure 3 share that frustration, even though the brass behind the production seem to be in a more hopeful mindset.

That much is true based on recent remarks from Treasure director Jon Turteltaub, in which he gave his opinion on whether Cage would be present for that potential return. Speaking with the folks at the National Treasure Hunt podcast, Turteltaub helped commemorate the 20th anniversary of this Disney series with some hopeful thinking. In his update on National Treasure 3, the helmer also behind such films as The Meg had this to say:

Jon Turteltaub does have a point about Justin Bartha, as back in 2004, Riley Poole was sold to us as the geeky assistant who was more bookish than charming. But two decades and a Hangover trilogy later, that image isn’t exactly sticking. Though for the record, Bartha firmly supports Jon Turteltaub and his magic touch with the series. So if his return for the short-lived Disney+ original National Treasure: Edge of History wasn’t enough of a sign that Riley Poole would be back, there’s that to consider.

This line of thinking leads to another huge question, as Nicolas Cage isn’t the only lead who's in question for the next potential chapter. Actor Diane Kruger seems out of the National Treasure 3 loop, as back in 2022, she claimed that she hasn’t been contacted at all to return alongside Cage and Justin Bartha.

As if the changes of the modern world aren’t enough of a challenge that current writer Chris Bremner would have to incorporate into his story, there now seems to be a possibility that we could be two treasure hunters down. On the plus side, those comments about Justin Bartha’s glow-up could mean that Riley becomes the new lead, offering the opportunity to surround him with some new friends with whom to go treasure hunting.

Then again, do you really think a National Treasure 3 is going to get made without at least Nicolas Cage on board? Ponder that question a little longer, as it feels like we aren't going anywhere anytime soon when it comes to this long awaited quest to discover what's on Page 47 of the Book of Secrets.

It’s been 16 years since we’ve seen National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and its mysterious sequel tease in theaters. But thanks to the magic of a Disney+ subscription, both cinematic entries, as well as National Treasure: Edge of History, are available for streaming. So celebrate the 20th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin Gates’ preservation of the Declaration of Independence by stealing some time to decode this classic all over again.

There are a ton of upcoming Spider-Man projects to look forward to in the coming years, with Disney+’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and the highly-anticipated Beyond the Spider-Verse movie being two of the biggest. Now we have another promising TV show swinging into action, but this one sounds much different than anything that’s come before. Noir, the first live-action series about the Web-Slinger since The Amazing Spider-Man CBS show from the 1970s, won’t turn its attention to Peter Parker or Miles Morales, but instead a version of the character from a completely different era.

At some point in the future, Prime Video’s Spider-Man series about the character famously played by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage in Into the Spider-Verse will show us a version of New York City not seen in any of the best Marvel movies. Let’s take a look at everything we know about Noir…

What Is The Noir Premiere Date?

Amazon Studios has not yet announced a premiere date for Noir, but the company did reveal during its 2024 upfront presentation that the new Spider-Man show will first be released on MGM+ domestically before it starts streaming on Prime Video. That being said, we can expect to watch the return of Nicolas Cage’s character (in the flesh this time) sooner or later with an Amazon subscription.

While we probably shouldn’t expect to see Noir on the 2024 TV schedule, be sure to check back for all the latest as we will continue to make updates as more information becomes available. 

The Live-Action Spider-Man Noir Show Will Follow A Down-On-His-Luck Private Eye And Former Superhero In 1930s New York

Unlike more recent Spider-Man movies and shows, which have taken place in modern-day New York, or some strange variation like in Across the Spider-Verse, the upcoming Noir series will go way back in time to the 1930s. It will tell the story of a down-on-his-luck and aging private eye as he grapples with his past life as the Big Apple’s one and only Web-Slinger. 

Amazon hasn’t revealed all that much about the specifics of the story at this point, but if the show ends up looking like a live-action version of Spider-Man Noir’s world from Into the Spider-Verse, we can expect some film noir cliches, dark alleyways, and some incredible and over-the-top narration.

Nicolas Cage Will Reprise His Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Role And Lead The Noir Cast

While the rest of the Noir cast has not yet been announced, we know that Nicolas Cage will be reprising his Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse role for the upcoming Prime Video and MGM+ live-action series. This announcement came a little less than a year after Cage’s version of Superman, a character that previously never saw the light of day, showed up for a few moments in The Flash. This time around, however, Cage’s involvement will be much larger than a brief cameo.

His character was absent for all but the final moments of the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ending, and even then, the character didn’t have any lines. Maybe this live-action series will fill in the blanks and explain where the fan-favorite character was during Miles Morales’ inter-dimensional odyssey.

Oren Uziel And Steve Lightfoot Will Be Co-Showrunners For Noir

In addition to having some big-name talent in front of the camera with Nicolas Cage, Noir will also have some major behind-the-scenes players running things. In May 2024, Amazon announced that Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot would be serving as co-showrunners and executive producers for the new Spider-Man show.

Uziel, who got his start writing various Mortal Kombat projects, has since gone on to make a name for himself as the talented screenwriter behind movies like 22 Jump Street, The Cloverfield Paradox, and most recently, The Lost City. Lightfoot has a ton of experience in the TV game, as he wrote and produced shows like Hannibal and Camelot before serving as the showrunner for Netflix’s The Punisher series. He’s also the co-creator of the Apple TV+ original series, Shantaram.

It was also announced in the Amazon upfront presentation that Harry Bradbeer, who previously worked on Fleabag and Killing Eve, would be directing the series. He will also serve as the executive producer of the first two episodes.

Into The Spider-Verse’s Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, And Amy Pascal Are All Involved With Noir

Oren Uziel And Steve Lightfoot won’t be alone in guiding the direction of Noir, as Amazon has announced that Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal, all of whom have had a hand in guiding the Spider-Verse over the years, will be involved with Noir. The trio helped the two co-showrunners develop the series and will also serve as executive producers once things get rolling. 

This makes sense, because while Noir will be a live-action series, it includes at least one character (Cage’s Spider-Man) from the Spider-Verse movies. With the franchise still very much alive (When are we seeing Beyond the Spider-Verse?), having them on board to keep up continuity only seems logical.

A Live-Action Spider-Man Noir Series Has Been In The Works Since Early 2023

Though Noir was made official in May 2024, the show had been in the works for well over a year by the time of Amazon’s announcement. Back in February 2023, Variety reported that a live-action Spider-Man Noir series was in the works on the streamer, though Cage’s involvement was not known at the time. What was known was that the show would take place in 1930s New York City and would follow an older, grizzled superhero and not the most iconic Web-Slinger, Peter Parker.

Silk: Spider Society, Another Live-Action Spider-Man Series, Was In The Works But It May Be Dead

Noir isn’t the only planned live-action Spider-Man series, as Silk: Spider-Society has been in the works for a couple of years now. Back in November 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were developing a show based on the Marvel Comics character for Amazon Studios and that The Walking Dead’s Angela Kang would be serving as its showrunner. 

However, as Deadline pointed out just days after the Noir presentation, there was no mention of Silk at the upfront. The outlet heard from its sources that the show was reportedly no longer happening at Amazon and that the project’s tumultuous development could be to blame. Neither the studio nor Kang has come out and said anything at this time, so we’ll have to monitor the situation.

Expect to hear much more about Noir and other exciting Spider-Man projects throughout the year and beyond. Until then, take a look at our ranking of the best Spider-Man movies or our breakdown of how to watch the Web-Slinger streaming. 

Some actors are best known and even defined by a single character that has captured the hearts of audiences all over the world. However, in many cases, said iconic character does not necessarily reflect the performer’s strongest performance, which they often tend to save for the role that they hope will earn them an Academy Award nomination or, at least, challenges them the most. The following is our attempt to distinguish the most iconic roles from our choices picks for the absolute best roles of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Chris Evans

The role that skyrocketed Chris Evans to the A-list and the one he will always be most famous for is Steve "Captain America" Rogers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, his talents are even better utilized in his scene-stealing performance in the Knives Out cast as the hilariously smug and conniving Ransom Drysdale.

Amy Adams

The world first fell in love with Amy Adams when she absolutely nailed the Disney Princess schtick as Giselle in 2007’s Enchanted. Yet, she is truly a captivating, commanding, and heartbreaking force to be reckoned with in Denis Villeneuve’s powerful 2016 alien invasion movie, Arrival, as linguistics expert Louise Banks — which, surprisingly, is not one of the six roles that earned her an Oscar nomination.

Kurt Russell

For many people, when they see Kurt Russell, they see the dystopian anti-hero Snake Plissken in Escape from New York from 1981 or helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in another great John Carpenter movie, 1982’s The Thing. Yet, even the actor’s biggest fans might agree that those performances pale in comparison to his acclaimed portrayal of Wyatt Earp in the 1993 Western movie classic, Tombstone.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie first captivated audiences everywhere as Naomi Lapaglia in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street and her portrayal of Harley Quinn in the DCEU immediately became one of the Batman villain’s most essential iterations. However, the Australian actor gave, arguably, her most captivating and essential performance as infamous figure skating champion Tonya Harding in the 2017 biopic, I, Tonya, which also earned her her first Oscar nomination.

Nicolas Cage 

Nicolas Cage is at his most iconic when he is at his most unhinged and few characters define that better than Castor Troy — a ruthless terrorist who switches faces with FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) in Face/Off. Of course, it is Cage's performance as severe alcoholic Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas that earned him an Oscar win.

Julia Roberts 

Having been referred to as the Queen of rom-coms, it would make sense to call Julia Roberts’ strongest contribution to the genre — Vivian Ward from 1990’s Pretty Woman — the most iconic of her career. Yet, her strongest contribution to cinema might actually be her Academy Award-winning performance in the title role of 2000’s Erin Brockovich, which is based on the true story of a legal assistant’s crusade in a California water pollution scandal. 

Tom Hanks

Our choices for both the most iconic role and the best role of Tom Hanks’ career each earned him an Academy Award. While the lovable title hero of 1994’s Forrest Gump is easily the more famous, the actor is at his most gripping and moving as gay, HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia from the previous year.

Ryan Gosling

Playing Noah in 2004's romantic instant classic The Notebook broke Ryan Gosling into the mainstream and playing the nameless wheelman protagonist of 2011's Drive showed his action star potential. The first time critics and audiences truly began to notice his strengths as a versatile performer, however, was when he played a teacher wrestling with his vices in 2006's Half Nelson.

Robert Downey, Jr.

There was no better choice to play Tony "Iron Man" Stark — the role that effectively resurrected Robert Downey Jr.'s career — in what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, has the actor truly ever been better than when he played Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer cast in 2023? Just ask the Academy.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence breathed refreshing new life into the cinematic version of YA dystopian novel hero Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movies. She especially breathed refreshing life into the already beautiful story of love and self-acceptance at the center of Silver Linings Playbook with her Oscar-winning performance as the widowed Tiffany Maxwell.

Jim Carrey

The one role that best represents Jim Carrey’s one-of-a kind erratic style of physical comedy is the ceaselessly goofy title hero of 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. There are certainly traces of that persona in unwitting TV star Truman Burbank from 1998’s The Truman Show, but the performance brought out a certain emotional depth and devastating earnestness we had not yet seen from the actor.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson was already a top A-lister when she was cast as Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff for the MCU — a role that, arguably, became bigger than the actor herself. Yet, her infectious, Oscar-nominated performance in 2019’s Jojo Rabbit as Rosie — the mother of a young aspiring Nazi who is secretly hiding a young Jewish woman — is the heart and soul of Taika Waititi’s dazzling World War II-era satire.

Matt Damon

Is there anything better than watching Matt Damon kick butt in the Jason Bourne movies as the titular amnesiac spy? How about watching him pour out his heart and soul as a young and brilliant, but emotionally troubled custodian in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which he also co-wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay for?

Jamie Lee Curtis

Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween may have made her the ultimate horror Scream Queen and playing IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once may have finally earned her an Oscar, but neither reflect her absolute best work in our opinion. Her Golden Globe-winning role as Helen Tasker — a woman who discovers her husband (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a spy — shows the extent of her versatile range and is easily the performance from 1994’s True Lies.

Michael Keaton

When you think of Michael Keaton, the first character you picture could be Bruce Wayne from Tim Burton's live-action Batman movies or the title role of another Burton classic called Beetlejuice. Yet, the actor's defining role might really be the one that earned him his first Academy Award nomination: down-and-out actor Riggan Thomson in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

Adam Driver

Typically, any Star Wars actor can call their role in the celebrated sci-fi franchise the most famous character they have ever played and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is certainly no exception. His performance as the Sith Lord is an essential highlight of the sequel trilogy, but his rich, emotionally devastating, and uniquely funny performance as Charlie Barber in 2019’s Marriage Story — his second Oscar-nominated role — really proved he was a force to behold.

Clint Eastwood

The Mount Rushmore of Western Movie Stars undeniably includes Clint Eastwood, whose own carving into the monument would probably be dressed like his three roles from Sergio Leone's "The Man with No Name" or "Dollars" Trilogy — made of up A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Well, forgive us, but we believe that coldblooded-killer turned mild-mannered family man William Munny from 1992’s Unforgiven — which he also directed — is his stronger and deeper contribution to the genre.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams is transcendent as the ultimate ruthless teen queen, Regina George, in the 2004 high school movie classic, Mean Girls. Yet, she is at her most grounded and most captivatingly understated in her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Boston Globe investigative journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in 2015’s Spotlight.

Tom Cruise 

Among Tom Cruise’s many iconic roles — especially Maverick in the Top Gun movies and Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible movies — we are not sure that we would include Ron Kovic in that least. Yet, we do believe the actor has never been better than in his impassioned, Academy Award-nominated portrayal of the real-life Vietnam vet-turned-war-protester in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July.

Emma Watson

Most people — especially Harry Potter fans — still see Hermione Graigner whenever they see Emma Watson. However, one role that came closest to replacing the talented wizard as the British actor’s most celebrated work is Sam Button from the tender 2012 coming-of-age drama, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is the face of two of cinema’s most iconic action movie heroes: Indiana Jones and Han Solo from the Star Wars movies. Yet, we have seen the legend give a performance as intense, grounded, and human as Detective Captain John Book in Witness, which also earned him his sole Academy Award nomination.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges had already achieved a storied and widely acclaimed career by the time he landed his definitive role as freewheeling burnout, The Dude, in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 cult favorite comedy classic, The Big Lebowski. It would take another 12 years before he gave his definitive performance as disillusioned country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, which made him an Oscar winner.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Jack Dawson from James Cameron’s high-grossing Best Picture Oscar winner, 1997’s Titanic, remains the one role Leonardo DiCaprio is most often associated with despite winning his Oscar for 2015’s The Revenant. However, it is his remarkable portrayal of Howard Hughes, from his rise as an inventive aristocrat to his falls as a disturbed recluse, that earns the highest praise from us. 

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has an extraordinary collection of unique characters under her belt, but none are quite as distinct or recognizable as Satine in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical smash, Moulin Rouge! Yet, the following year saw her give a transformative, Oscar-winning performance in The Hours as renowned author Virginia Woolf during a dismal time in her life.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale had audiences floored by his performance as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, which solidified him as one of the best Batman actors in cinematic history. However, we believe we already saw him at his best in 2000’s American Psycho, giving a brilliantly nuanced performance as a strangely compelling sociopath named Patrick Bateman.

Natalie Portman

Rewatching the Star Wars prequel trilogy is made easier for even its harshest critics by Natalie Portman’s empowering, grounding, and ultimately heartbreaking performance as Naboo’s queen-turned-senator, Padmé Amidala. Yet, we have it on good authority that even those fans of a galaxy far, far away would rather rewatch 2010’s Black Swan and experience her unsettling, bravura, Academy Award-winning turn as Nina Sayers — a ballerina driven mad by her devotion to the lead role of Swan Lake.

Daniel Radcliffe 

Daniel Radcliffe certainly made for a great “The Boy Who Lived” in the Harry Potter movies, but even some of the franchise’s biggest fans might agree that the English actor has only gotten better since exiting the Wizarding World. In fact, some might say he has gotten better as the roles got weirder, and none have been weirder than when he starred in 2022’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story as a hilariously exaggerated version of the legendary musical parodist.

Kate Winslet

Much like Titanic made Leonardo DiCaprio a star, starring in the blockbuster historical tragedy as Rose Bukater turned Kate Winslet into one of the top actors of her time. In spite of her wonderful performance there, many would agree the role mainly paved the way for even better opportunities, such as her Oscar-winning performance in 2008’s The Reader as Hanna Schmitz.

Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac was certainly on the path to achieving A-list status before joining the cast of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but playing the charming resistance pilot was his one-way ticket across the bridge. That same year, however, he delivered a captivatingly complex and intriguingly layered performance as tech innovator Nathan Bateman in Alex Garland’s classic A24 sci-fi drama, Ex Machina

Reese Witherspoon

As Elle Woods in 2001’s Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon brings warmth, humor, and authenticity to a character who could have easily been an annoying, one-note stereotype. As June Carter Cash in 2005’s Walk the Line, she absolutely steals the show from Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny Cash with her powerful, Oscar-winning portrayal of the legendary singer.

Henry Cavill

Being, essentially, the spitting image of Clark Kent made Henry Cavill an ideal choice to play Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, but not quite the perfect choice. The English actor’s signature charm, charisma, and sense of humor shine through much stronger as American secret agent Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which we think is gleaming proof of his 007 material.

Brie Larson

You could say that Carol Danvers has become such a popular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because Brie Larson is the one portraying her in Captain Marvel and subsequent films. For that, we can likely thank her magnificent, heart-wrenching, Oscar-winning performance in 2015’s Room as a single mother held captive with her son.

There are the characters we cherish and the performances we adore. Both are equally important reasons for why we love our favorite actors.

You may not have realized this, but Sony has more upcoming Spider-Man projects in the works than anticipated. We have heard all of the rumors about Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4, made in collaboration with Marvel Studios, and we’re waiting on confirmation of a delivery date for the anticipated animated movie Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Outside of that, there have been movies and television series teased for characters such as El Muerto (played by Bad Bunny), a live-action Miles Morales, and the superhero Silk. But one of those cool-sounding projects finally is moving forward, with Nicolas Cage in the lead. 

Cage first played Spider-Man Noir in the initial animated adventure, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He spoke like Bogart in a 1930s gumshoe thriller, and bounced off the existing Spider-Verse characters well. There has been development on an Amazon Prime Video series centered around this offbeat hero for some time now, and Deadline just reported that Noir is moving ahead with a full series order. Nicolas Cage will star in the live-action show, developed by Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot (who was the showrunner on Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher). There’s no date yet as to when the show will premiere.

Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios, told the trade:

And that’s exactly what Sony needs to do… expand its Spider-Man universe, using Spider-Man. Not C-tier characters like Madame Web (Dakota Johnson) or Morbius (Jared Leto). Use actual Spider-Man iterations. 

Now, it’s a little strange that we can’t get a contemporary Spider-Man to appear opposite Kraven the Hunter (Aaron Taylor Johnson) or Michael Keaton’s Vulture. I still think that task should fall to Andrew Garfield. As for Noir, it reportedly will be set in New York City in the 1930s. And if they adhere to the information set up in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cage’s Peter Parker will be a private eye who loves fighting Nazis. 

Best guess? It’ll be at least a year before we see Noir on Amazon Prime. Maybe by then, we’ll know more about Tom Holland’s future in the MCU, and the date that the Spider-Verse animated trilogy – which also will feature Spider-Man Noir – will conclude. Keep it here for details. 

Yes, I'm well aware that Father's Day is still a ways off. But, as a father myself, and as somebody who is enamored with the best action movies of all time (and projecting myself into said movies), I'm always a sucker for good dads in action flicks.

Unsurprisingly, I'm not alone, as there are a multitude of fighting fathers at the multiplexes, which just proves that ass-kicking daddy is a popular sub-genre, and definitely wish fulfillment. 

Sure, it's cool to imagine yourself on the big screen (or in an action movie that went right to streaming), being an ass kicking ladies man, a la all those James Bond movies. But, it's even cooler imagining yourself as a papa who could also whoop some ass. So, here are some of the best dads in action movies. Oh, and son. Hold my beer.  

John McClane (Die Hard Series) 

We don’t learn much about John McClane’s children until Parts 4 and 5, which are Live Free or Die Hard, and A Good Day to Die Hard, respectively. But, they’re very interesting relationships, nonetheless. 

His daughter, Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is not a fan of her father in Part 4, even going so far as to change her last name. But, when she gets taken hostage by a cyberterrorist, you know Papa John is coming to the rescue. And rescue her he does! They’re back on speaking terms after these heroic events. 

In Part 5, which is my LEAST favorite movie of the Die Hard series, we get introduced to his son, John, or Jack, played by Jai Courtney. John is actually as badass as his father, who fights with him in Russia. But, one thing is certain about John McClane, played by the incomparable Bruce Willis (Who our very own Sean O’Connell wrote a whole book about!): Whoever you are, you do not mess with his kids.  

John Matrix (Commando) 

In the greatest action movie of all time (I said what I said), Arnold Schwarzenegger plays John Matrix, a mountain of a man who will stop at nothing to rescue his daughter, Jenny (Alyssa Milano). Here’s the plot: A dictator wants to use John in order to get back into power, and he’s going to kidnap Matrix’s daughter as a means to fulfill his goal. But, he messed with the wrong dude.

Because you just can’t stop John Matrix! Sure, you can try to take him hostage on an airplane, but he’s the kind of man who will break the guy’s neck next to him, and then get off the plane from the wheel compartment. Hell, you’re going to need a small army to keep him from his daughter, and not even that will help you.  

Bryan Mills (Taken Series)  

We all know this, but Bryan Mills’ victims might not be aware that he has “a very particular set of skills.”  But, they soon learn as such when they kidnap his daughter, Kim, played by Maggie Grace. It sets Mills (Liam Neeson) off on a trek to kill the people who kidnapped her.

Mills is the kind of dad you don’t want to bring your boyfriend home to. He seems pleasant enough, but he’s also so protective of his daughter, that you would be walking on eggshells anytime you’re around him, especially if you’re in a kitchen full of knives. Funnily (or stupidly) enough, another bad guy attempted to take his daughter in Taken 3. But, we all know how that ended, and it definitely wasn’t in the bad guy’s favor.  

President James Marshall (Air Force One) 

You wanna talk about fathers? Well, how about our founding fathers, with one of them being George Washington. Known for his bravery and cunning, many Americans consider Washington to be one of America’s greatest presidents, and (check out this segue), one could argue that James Marshall, played by Harrison Ford, is one of America’s greatest movie presidents. 

Quite frankly, Marshall does not negotiate with terrorists. Which is bad news for Egor Korshunov (Gary Oldman), as Marshall isn’t just some pushover president. Nah. He fought in Vietnam and even won the Medal of Honor for his duties. So, mistake #1 was hijacking the plane, but mistake #2 (and this was the even bigger mistake), was taking his wife and daughter hostage. Because that’s what really set him off. Of course the bad guys lose and the good guy wins, because America. Amirite?  

Cameron Poe (Con Air) 

Since we’re already on the topic of planes, let’s talk about Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage), in the awesome (but sometimes nonsensical) ‘90s movie, Con Air. Poe, who went to jail for defending his wife, is the kind of father who will make sure you die if you even dare tamper with the bunny (Just put it back in the box!) that he got for his daughter. 

In a lot of ways, everything he does here is to be back home with his family. Because he was locked up for eight years, he’s going to be coming home to a daughter he didn’t really get to watch grow up. So, that’s why there’s nobody on earth (Or in the air!) who’s going to stop him from seeing his daughter.  

Sean Archer (Face/Off)  

Since we’re on the topic of Nicolas Cage, who I’m always happy to talk about, why not transition over to another ‘90s classic, Face/Off, starring Nic Cage and John Travolta? 

Now, this is going to be a tricky one to describe if you’ve never seen the movie, but John Travolta plays Sean Archer, whose son dies early on, due to Castor Troy, a terrorist played by Cage. Due to a series of events, though, Travolta’s face gets swapped with Cage’s so their roles flip. Now, Cage becomes “the good guy,” and Travolta is bad.

No matter whose face he has, Sean is a good dad (even though he’d been neglecting his wife and daughter while going after Troy). When he realizes how he’s been so single-minded in his pursuit, he learns the true value of being a parent. So much so, that he’s even willing to adopt his rival’s son just to keep him from a life of crime. What a mensch! 

Roger Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon Series)  

Okay, enough of the ‘90s. Let’s talk about the ‘80s, and Lethal Weapon! Roger Murtaugh, played by Danny Glover, is a family man, through-and-through. He’s a Vietnam vet, and will do anything for his kids, such as try to rescue his daughter, Rianne (Traci Wolfe), who gets kidnapped in the first movie by a cartel.

Or, how about how awful he feels in Lethal Weapon 3, when he kills his son’s friend, and then declines mentally due to his guilt? In every way, Murtaugh is the kind of dad who isn’t perfect, but tries his damn best each and every day. And, I can relate as a parent. Because just like Murtaugh, I’m getting too old for this ish.  

Ogami Itto (Lone Wolf And Cub Series) 

On the surface, Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) seems like he might actually be a bad parent. I mean, what kind of dad brings his child into combat where he could die at any point? But, Itto actually presented his baby with an ultimatum: Choose the sword, and he could come with him. Choose the ball, and he would die at his father’s hand. 

Yeah, that still sounds pretty bad, but at the same time, bringing a baby carriage into combat is certainly a hindrance. Itto is ride or die now that he’s committed to taking his son along on his quest for vengeance. Hey, his kid even contributes, killing along the way as well. You know what they say! The family that slays together, stays together. That is what they say, don’t they? 

Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade)  

While I’ll debate with you all day which is the better Indy sequel–Last Crusade or Temple (It’s Temple!), what I won’t debate with you is what a fascinating father Dr. Henry Jones (Sean Connery) is to Indy (Which was the dog’s name!). At first, he seems aloof to his child, as they don’t quite see eye-to-eye. But, throughout their journey together for the Holy Grail, we learn just how similar they actually are to each other. 

It’s also worth noting that Senior truly loves his son, and that it was hard for him to deal with his wife’s death. In turn, Indy truly loves his dad. But, like many contentious families, they’re more alike than they’re ever willing to admit. 

 Who’s your favorite dad in an action movie?  

When we consider the pantheon of the best horror movie monsters, icons like the Xenomorph from Alien or The Thing come to mind — creatures that have haunted filmgoers' dreams for decades. However, a new contender has entered the ring, borrowing its eerie traits from an unlikely source: Disney’s loveable anthropomorphic dog in a turtleneck, Goofy. That’s right, Nicolas Cage’s 2024 movie release, Arcadian, is set to redefine what makes our skin crawl, courtesy of a surprising influence that blends childhood memories with nightmare fuel.

Ben Brewer, the director of Arcadian, revealed to IGN that his monstrous vision was inspired by Goofy, particularly a scene from A Goofy Movie where Max was haunted by a nightmare of transforming into his goofy (pun intended), bucktoothed father. While the scene might appear comical, it possesses an unsettling undertone, which the filmmaker has amplified to form the backbone of his upcoming horror movie. He elaborated on this eerie inspiration:

Sometimes, the most effective horror can arise from the least expected places, turning familiar, even endearing, figures into sources of profound fear – think of all the great scary clowns of cinema! So, a terrifying anthropomorphic doglike creature makes all the sense in the world to me. 

Nic Cage’s involvement in the flick went beyond his on-screen role; he actively contributed to the final design of the monster, pushing for a creature that was not just a nightmarish vision but something believably adapted to its environment. According to the director, the Face/Off star reacted to the initial designs of the villains in a less than enthusiastic way, saying: 

Cage’s feedback led to a creature design that incorporates elements of real-world biology, like the communal survival strategies of ants, adding a layer of plausible terror to the fantastical horror. The final monster design in Arcadian features an amalgamation of limbs and features that defy easy categorization, designed to spark fear through its unfamiliarity and eerie semblance to known animal aspects.

The Renfield star, known for his eclectic choice of roles, has mentioned that a few of his more recent films are some of his favorites. While it remains to be seen whether Arcadian will earn a place among his favorites, the film certainly presents a compelling draw. Even if driven by nothing more than a morbid curiosity to behold the odd creature designs,  the creature feature promises to be an intriguing watch.

Arcadian opened in theaters on April 12 and is still playing in select theaters. Later in the year, it will be available for streaming with a Shudder plan or an AMC+ subscription. Also, consider checking out the actor’s five favorite Nic Cage films, with Face/Off being available with an Amazon Prime subscription or  Paramount+ subscription.

Some of our best horror movies have been centered around characters who just so happen to be legendary creatures of the night: vampires. And, because of the enduring popularity of these mythological bloodsuckers, not only do we also have a number of TV vamps, but many famous actors who’ve portrayed some version of the famed, usually-human-looking beasts. Here for you now are 32 actors who’ve played a vampire.

Eddie Murphy (Vampire In Brooklyn)

So many vamps have been seen on screen that even a comedy and action movie legend like Eddie Murphy has played one. The 1995 horror comedy, Vampire in Brooklyn, saw the star play the last member of a group of Caribbean vampires, who hits New York to find a mate so that he can continue his family line.

Tom Cruise (Interview With The Vampire)

Who could forget the 1994 film that gave us Tom Cruise as the captivating and cruel (And blond!) bloodthirsty fiend, Lestat de Lioncourt, from author Anne Rice’s legendary novel series, The Vampire Chronicles? Of course, it also gave us Brad Pitt’s tortured vamp, Louis, and made a star out of young Kirsten Dunst.

Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

While there are some obvious stars to add to this list, let us not forget that the cast of famous (and soon-to-be-famous) vampires in The Twilight Saga films was quite stacked. That roster included noted child star Dakota Fanning, who portrayed the villainous Volturi guard member, Jane, who was able to mentally create sensations of pain in those who she deemed worthy of punishment.

Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood)

Several vampire-focused TV shows have hit the airwaves over the past 20 or so years, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the HBO hit, True Blood. Many of its stars portrayed members of vamp-kind for most or all of the series’ seven seasons, but Evan Rachel Wood made an equally impressive (bloody) splash as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, during her recurring guest appearances in Seasons 2-4.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

Back to Twilight! It’s not worth mentioning this franchise without bringing up lead romantic vamp Edward Cullen, as well as the man who brought him to life in five movies, eventuall live action Batman actor Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that his love interest’s portrayer, Kristen Stewart, would have dumped Edward “immediately”!

Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In)

It’s possible that we don’t get creepier than kid vampires in movies and television shows, and that’s what we got with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Abby in the 2010 film, Let Me In. She befriends a young loner after moving into his apartment complex, but is (you guessed it) hiding nefarious purposes he could have never guessed, which end up taking his life in a most unexpected direction.

Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn)

This might be the shortest movie vampire appearance on the list, as 1996’s From Dusk Til Dawn saw Salma Hayek play the fanged exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, only for about five memorable minutes that simply cannot be forgotten once witnessed.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Undead life isn’t always filled with glamorous globe-hopping adventure, gorgeous mates who can’t resist you and other perks, at least according to 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, which concerns the rather mundane day-to-day lives of vampire roommates, of whom Taika Waititi’s uptight and nearly 400-year-old vamp, Viago, is among.

Theo James (Underworld: Awakening, Underworld: Blood Wars)

Another big screen franchise that depended on heaps of stars to populate its supernatural world is that of Underworld. Two sequels saw Theo James play the heroic vampire, David, heir to one of the main vamp covens, and lead Selene’s one steadfast ally during an important time in her journey.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Not many cinematic vampires are said to be based on a real person, but the one played by Willem Dafoe in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire is. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the real Nosferatu lead actor, Max Schreck, whom the crew begins to suspect is an actual vampire because of his behavior and the strange goings-on surrounding filming.

Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000)

Speaking of vampires who are based on real people…Author Bram Stoker based his Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, and Gerard Butler played yet another version of the ever-popular character in a film from, yes, 2000. This tale sees the ancient vamp accidentally awoken by a group of thieves who find and steal his highly protected coffin, which had been watched over by generations of the Van Helsing family.

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

A Marvel character that will soon have another portrayer when the upcoming Blade reboot finally begins filming, the original action/horror trilogy famously saw Wesley Snipes take on the vampire/human hybrid titular lead, who’s a nearly unstoppable vamp hunter bent on taking down all members of the species who bit his mother and infected him with their supernatural blood while he was still in utero.

Colin Farrell (Fright Night)

If a scary and suave undead night stalker is your type, look no further than Colin Farrell’s Jerry Dandrige in 2011’s remake of the 1985 cult classic, Fright Night. He may have to eventually do battle with a couple of teenagers, but he sure looks darn good doing it.

Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers)

A movie that takes a more science-fiction approach to a world overrun by vampires is the 2009 film Daybreakers, which sees Ethan Hawke play a vamp hematologist who refuses to drink human blood and is looking for a synthetic option to their usual meal of choice that will stop humanity from being wiped out by his more brutal peers.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

Again with Dracula? Why, yes! This time, Luke Evans plays a Vlad the Impaler who only becomes a vampire to have the strength, speed and ferocity to turn back an invading army in an attempt to save the people of his kingdom. Does it work out for him? Well, yes…and no.

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

There’s no mentioning the Underworld franchise without giving respect to the main heroine, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene. In the first film she’s a vampire looking to destroy the werewolves that killed her family, but she ends up uncovering a major secret about the two sets of creatures and falling in love with a human, instead.

Alicia Silverstone (Vamps)

This 2012 horror comedy sees Alicia Silverstone play Goody, an old vampire who tries to stay young and hip while helping her much younger bloodsucking buddy, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), get used to her powers as they try to abstain from the red stuff during their immortal and unholy (sorta) lives.

Pedro Pascal (Bloodsucking Bastards)

Ever wondered what working in an office that was slowly being overrun by vampires who care as much about the bottom line as they do about drinking blood would be like? Just watch Bloodsucking Bastards, where beloved The Last of Us cast member Pedro Pascal begins turning his employees into the titular immortals.

Jim Carrey (Once Bitten)

Jim Carrey’s first leading role came in this 1985 comedy, where he played a teen virgin turned into a vampire by an alluring, 400-year-old creature of the night, who seduced him so she could use his blood to keep her youthful appearance.

Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

In the 1992 horror comedy that eventually led to the long-running series of the same name, the late Paul Reubens starred as Amilyn, a vamp doing the bidding of a much more powerful bloodsucker who’s ruling his kind in Los Angeles.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood)

While HBO’s True Blood was positively filled with the undead, few of them made as much of an impact on audiences (and the lead, Sookie) as Alexander Skarsgård’s cunning and alluring (but sorta evil) 1,000-year-old Eric Northman. This also happens to be the role that really made Skarsgård famous.

David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel)

When it comes to popular TV vampires, no one can discount the reign of David Boreanaz as evil vamp turned heroic vamp (and then sometimes evil vamp again) Angel, whom he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with the first episode in 1997, through wrapping his run on the fifth season series finale of his own show, Angel, in 2004.

Sterling K. Brown (Supernatural)

Sterling K. Brown may best be known now for delivering heartfelt emotions as Randall Pearson on This Is Us, but for four episodes across Seasons 2 and 3 of the CW mega-hit, Supernatural, he played Hunter and dedicated vamp-hater-turned-vampire, Gordon Walker, to astounding, understandably cold-blooded effect.

Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys)

Even though Kiefer Sutherland was certainly a star on the rise by the time he starred in The Lost Boys in 1987, his part as apparent vampire motorcycle gang leader David cemented his leading man qualities and turned him into a household name.

Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II)

Sure, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best Rami Malek movies to watch, but let’s not discount his turn as the powerful (and ancient) Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II, one of the few creatures of the night in the franchise who can directly manipulate things, with his specialty being controlling fire, water, air and earth.

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Yet another actor you may have forgotten was fanged in the expansive Twilight franchise is Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. She took over the role of evil, vengeful vamp Victoria (who’s looking to kill Bella in retaliation for Edward killing her love, James) from Rachelle Lefevre, for the third movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive)

As one half of the very old vampire couple at the center of the 2013 dramedy, Only Lovers Left Alive, Tilda Swinton is a wife forced to visit the husband (played by Tom Hiddleston) she’s long been separated from once she realizes his lengthy undead existence has begun to bring him down, as she tries to force him to reevaluate the value of living forever.

Bill Nighy (Underworld, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans)

Every good vampire needs a parental figure to show them the ropes, and for Underworld’s Selene, that role was filled by Viktor, who was portrayed by Love, Actually star Bill Nighy. His Vampire Elder turned out to be more of a threat than the heroine ever expected, though, leading to some tense moments between Selene and her mentor.

Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula) 

Back to Drac! One of the most popular films about the character is still 1992’s Bram Stoker's Dracula, which saw eventual Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban star Gary Oldman play Vlad Dracula.

Christopher Meloni (True Blood)

Where there is one vampire there are generally enough to have a whole hierarchy among their brethren, and as with the series True Blood, sometimes we get to see what that could look like. In Season 5, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni portrayed the Guardian, Roman Zimojic, who led the Vampire Authority and (ostensibly) set the rules for all vamps. Many, however, didn’t agree with his desire to have his kind fit in with human society, which caused a lot of problems for the calm, determined and deadly when challenged leader.

Nicolas Cage (Renfield)

If you guessed that this is yet another Dracula story, well, you’re sort of correct. 2023’s horror comedy, Renfield, stars Nicholas Hoult as the count’s titular long-time familiar, who’s tired of helping him kill innocent people and all the abuse he’s taken from the being who gifted him with immortality, as well as super strength and speed (when he eats bugs) 90 years prior. So, he gets help from a support group for people in codependent relationships in order to be able to live his own life again. Nicolas Cage is our Dracula here, and he’s a perfectly winking one, who still manages to be creepy and deadly.

Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows)

Johnny Depp has become known for his outrageous characters, and his Barnabas Collins is no different. The 2012 Dark Shadows film (which was based on the 1966-1971 gothic daytime drama of the same name) follows Barnabas after he’s cursed with vampirism in 1760, buried alive in a coffin, and then accidentally freed in the early 1970s. He rejoins the Collins family at the estate they still hold, while trying to keep his true nature a secret, but hijinks ensue as his past comes back to haunt them. 

This, of course, is just a small sampling of the famous actors who've portrayed vampires over the years, but if you decide to do a vamp movie/TV show marathon, you can start right here and have hours of entertainment.