Nicolas Cage may have played Marvel character Ghost Rider (who is finally joining the MCU in the form of Ryan Gosling), but he’s never been a part of the official Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it seems like he’s not exactly jumping at the chance to join in, either (although he came close to having a cameo in “Deadpool & Wolverine”). During a recent appearance at Fan Expo Dallas, Cage had some not-kind (but frankly justified) words for the MCU and it’s approach to storytelling, calling it “glorified WWE.”
Of course, if you love the WWE, you might not think this is an insult at all. And in Cage’s defense, I don’t think he’s specifically trying to knock pro wrestling, nor is he being unfair to the Marvel machine. He just wishes these movies would try a little harder. “I do say this with love,” Cage stated, “When I see these 50-plus, otherwise intelligent, remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight — and let’s face it, it’s cutting all to the fight — it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE.”
Nicolas Cage has a point
Cage has a point. The MCU has attracted a wealth of talented actors over its history, but more often than not, these performers don’t have much to do. They mostly slap on costumes, do some poses, and then get replaced by either stunt doubles or CGI bodies for fight sequences. And sure, that can be entertaining, but it’s also okay to want a little bit more.
I haven’t seen “Avengers: Doomsday” yet, but while I know the film will be a smash hit, the trailers released so far have been dire, giving us nothing but fast-moving, nearly incomprehensible clips of the huge cast of actors rushing at each other to engage in fight scenes. There’s just not much there, folks. It really is like a wrestling match.
I’m sure some hardcore fans will take umbrage with Cage’s comments here, but I really do think he has a point. And hey, if a “glorified WWE” is really all you want from the MCU at the end of the day, you can’t complain.
