Nicolas Cage is getting much appreciation for performance in Spider-Noir, the series based on the eponymous Marvel Comics character. Interestingly, Cage would have been part of the larger Spider-Man universe if he wanted to much earlier than the latest series. In a recent interview, the actor explained why he turned down an offer to star as Green Goblin in Spider-Man, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire in the titular role.

Talking about it in a recent episode of the The Howard Stern Show, Nicolas Cage confirmed turning down the role and said, "I am a comic book fan, and Green Goblin would have been a good thing to do. Spike Jonze, who did Being John Malkovich, offered me a role in Adaptation, and I wanted to do that instead."

Starring Cage in multiple roles alongside Meryl Streep, Adaptation is considered one of director Spike Jonze's greatest-ever films and Cage's dual act in it ranks among his career-best performances. Cage said that he "was on like an art route" at the time Adaptation came to him and wanted to avoid "big movies".

Willem Dafoe ended up doing the role of Green Goblin in Spider-Man. When asked whether he regrets declining the role, Cage said, "No, I love the movie and I thought Williem was great. But no, I am not sorry I turned it down."

Cage also talked about the shelved Superman Lives film with director Tim Burton. "I do not know what happened. We had a good rapport together, and we were going to do it. I think the movie, the script made it too expensive and then they shelved it. But I would have loved to have done that with Tim," Nicolas Cage explained.