Spider-noir Star Nicolas Cage Thinks This Is The Best Spider-man Actor

Prime Video

Nicolas Cage is putting his stamp on the "Spider-Man" franchise as we speak, leading Prime Video's "Spider-Noir" TV show. Though Cage's character in "Spider-Noir" isn't actually called Spider-Man, he's still part of the tradition that dates back to the 1960s when Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Marvel's beloved superhero. But who is Cage's favorite on-screen version of the webslinger?

In a recent interview with Complex, in honor of the release of "Spider-Noir" Season 1, Cage revealed his choice. It's not Tom Holland, who is returning once again in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" this summer, nor is it Tobey Maguire, who brought the character to life for the first time on the silver screen in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" in 2002. Rather, it's Andrew Garfield, who made his debut as Peter Parker in 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man." Here's what Cage had to say about it:

"I thought [Andrew] Garfield was a really great Spider-Man, I thought he did a terrific job. He's a marvelous actor. For all of the younger, Peter Parker Spider-Men, he was the one that I thought really was quite something to watch.

"I would put Garfield, in my view, as the best Spider-Man in cinema," Cage concluded.

There is a bit of tragedy to Garfield's "The Amazing Spider-Man," as the actor was a genuine fan who was thrilled to occupy the character's shoes. Unfortunately, his pair of Marc Webb-directed solo movies didn't pan out critically, particularly "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," with Sony Pictures deciding instead to reboot the franchise once again within the Marvel Cinematic Universe just a few short years later. "Captain America: Civil War" kicked off Holland's tenure in 2016 before he got a solo debut in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

That was that for Garfield. For a time anyway.

Sony Pictures

Even though "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" was a franchise-killing box office success, Andrew Garfield's version of the character has earned a great deal of love over the years. Even if the movies he was in didn't always do him any favors, many fans have come to appreciate what he did with Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

Garfield's presence and redemption is a big reason why "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was a hugely profitable movie, taking in more than $1.9 billion at the box office. Anyone in a theater on opening weekend knows that audiences went nuts when Garfield's Spider-Man first emerges on screen. There was this sense that everyone was rooting for him, knowing that a good actor got a raw deal the first time around.

It turns out, Garfield has an admirer in Nicolas Cage as well. That's no small thing, as Cage is a noted comic book fan, an Oscar-winner, and an actor known for making bold, interesting choices. Earning praise from him is no small thing, especially since Cage also voices a version of Spider-Man Noir in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," one of the most beloved movies in the entire franchise.

As for "Spider-Noir," the series is set in the 1930s and tells the story of Ben Reilly (Cage), a down on his luck private investigator in New York. He is forced to grapple with his past life in the aftermath of a personal tragedy as the city's lone superhero.

Whether or not we're going to see Garfield suit up as Spidey again remains to be seen. Garfield is open to playing Spider-Man again, under the right conditions. The ball is really in Sony and/or Marvel Studios' court at this point.

"Spider-Noir" Season 1 is streaming now on Prime Video.