The Nicolas Cagesaissance has hit a bit of a speed bump, unfortunately.
After stealing every scene as the hilariously dark and tortured version of Spidey in “Into the Spider-Verse,” Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir had to be among the top of the list of returning characters who fans simply needed to appear in the sequel… right? Well, reality continues to be full of disappointment and heartbreak as it appears as if “Across the Spider-Verse” simply doesn’t have the room for the black-and-white antics of the Spidey detective. He’s not the only well-received character noticeably missing from the marketing of the follow-up, however, as many of the stand-outs from the original film – Spider-Ham, Peni Parker, and all the rest — haven’t so much as been glimpsed in any of the footage thus far.
But honestly, as much as everyone would’ve loved to see more of Cage’s delightfully throwback voice performance, there’s something refreshing about the idea of the creative team avoiding the urge to shoehorn characters into a sequel just because fans expect it. Ideally, the demands of the story would always come first over marketing, popularity, and other relatively petty concerns. And, to be fair, it’s not like “Across the Spider-Verse” will be lacking in opportunities for fan-service, either. And who knows, maybe Cage is simply playing coy and hiding the surprise for a secret cameo at some point in the upcoming film, too. Keep hope alive, folks!
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” will swing into theaters on June 2, 2023.