Nicolas Cage Says the MCU “Is Becoming a Well-Funded and Glorified WWE”

It’s safe to say Nicolas Cage isn’t a big fan of where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is headed.

During a recent Q&A at Fan Expo Dallas, the Oscar winner said he misses when movies in the MCU prioritized story over action, describing newer films as “well-funded and glorified WWE.”

“It started out, in my view, terrific. Some of the early stories were marvelous,” Cage told the crowd. “The way that they wove all the threads together and told the different character stories and backstories.”

While the actor didn’t name the earlier movies he thought were “marvelous,” he acknowledged that he’s noticed a shift in recent years. “Lately — I do say this with love — when I see these 50-plus and otherwise intelligent and remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight — let’s face it, it’s all cutting to the fight — it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE,” he said.

While Cage has never been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he recently played the title character in Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, which was canceled after one season. The live-action superhero detective series follows Cage’s Ben Reilly, known as The Spider, who is a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York City during the Great Depression.

“One of the things I liked about Spider-Noir was it wasn’t cut into the fight. It was a detective story,” Cage told the audience at the fan convention. “There was a mystery there. And I would like to see it [MCU] get back to telling the stories and not just cutting to the wrestling match.”

The actor also previously played Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider, a Marvel Comics character, in 2007’s Ghost Rider and 2012’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, though Sony Pictures produced both films.