‘Spider Noir’ Star Nicolas Cage Crowns Andrew Garfield the Best Spider-Man in Cinema, and the Debate Is Back
Few debates in fandom are as reliably heated as the one over who wears the Spider-Man suit best. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland all have loyal camps, and every few months a new voice tosses fuel on the fire.
This time, the voice belongs to someone who knows the character from a very unusual angle. Nicolas Cage first voiced Spider-Man Noir in the animated ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and later brought the character to live action in ‘Spider-Noir’, which makes his opinion carry extra weight.
A post from CoveredGeekly on October 19 resurfaced Cage’s pick, sharing that he believes Garfield is the greatest Spider-Man actor in the history of cinema. The comments originally came from a Complex interview recorded while Cage was promoting ‘Spider-Noir’ in late May.
In that conversation, Cage said he thought Garfield was a really great Spider-Man who did a terrific job, calling him a marvelous actor. He added that among the younger Peter Parkers, Garfield was the one who impressed him most, and he ultimately put Garfield as the best Spider-Man in cinema.
Nicolas Cage says he thinks Andrew Garfield is the greatest Spider-Man actor in the history of cinema "Garfield was a really great Spider-Man… I would put Garfield as, in my view, the best Spider-Man in cinema" (via @Complex) https://t.co/rR72JIgDfq
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) October 19, 2026
The exchange took a comedic turn. According to coverage of the interview, Cage first dodged the question of whether he had seen all of the Spider-Man movies, then the interviewer introduced a “f—, marry, kill” game involving the different Spider-Men.
Cage appeared unfamiliar with how the game worked and looked confused when asked whether Garfield belonged in the “marry” category. Even so, he repeatedly singled out Garfield as his favorite.
Garfield’s run as Peter Parker has had an interesting arc. He starred in 2 solo films, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’, which drew heavy criticism, particularly the sequel.
A Brand New Day starts now. Watch the official trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day – exclusively in theatres July 31. https://t.co/O4ryqpTCZX
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 18, 2026
His standing has climbed in recent years, helped by his return in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, where all 3 live-action Spider-Men shared the screen. Cage’s endorsement adds to a growing sense that Garfield’s version was better than the films around it.
Cage’s credentials are unusual too. In ‘Spider-Noir’, he plays Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York who is also the city’s only superhero, in a series set in a universe not connected to the MCU or the Spider-Verse films.
The show premiered on MGM+ on May 25 and arrived on Prime Video on May 27, with all 8 episodes available in both black-and-white and color. It was developed by Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal executive producing.
Critics and audiences loved it. ‘Spider-Noir’ earned a 92% critics score and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with 11 Emmy nominations, the most of any Prime Video series in 2026.
Even so, Prime Video chose not to order a second season. Cage told Deadline that one season felt perfect to him, since he had said what he wanted to say with this pop-art take on the hero.
Cage’s comments land as Spider-Man dominates the box office conversation. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, starring Holland, set a domestic opening record this summer and has since passed $2 billion worldwide.
That makes Cage’s choice of Garfield over the current MCU star all the more eye-catching. It also reminds fans that every actor in the role has brought something different, from Maguire’s earnest trilogy to Garfield’s emotional, quippy take and Holland’s youthful energy.
Reaction online was predictably split. Some fans cheered Cage’s praise for an actor they feel never got the movies he deserved, while others insisted Maguire or Holland still deserve the crown. Whatever side you land on, Cage’s love for Garfield’s performance shows how strongly that version still resonates.
Who is your favorite live-action Spider-Man?
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