Nicolas Cage has taken aim at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, arguing that its increasingly crowded superhero films risk becoming little more than a “well-funded and glorified WWE”.

“It started out, in my view, terrific. Some of the early stories were marvellous, the way that they wove all the threads together and told the different character stories and backstories,” Cage, 62, said at the Fan Expo Dallas.

The MCU began in 2008 with Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, and what initially looked like a standalone superhero film became the starting point for an interconnected film universe.

Marvel followed it with The Incredible Hulk that same year, before introducing or developing characters including Black Widow, Thor, Captain America, and Hawkeye across Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger.

The characters all came together in 2012’s The Avengers, which also featured Nick Fury, Hulk, and Loki and marked the culmination of the MCU’s first phase.

“But lately – I do say this with love – when I see these 50-plus, otherwise intelligent, remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight,” Cage said, “it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE.”

Since Phase One, the MCU has expanded far beyond its original Avengers line-up, adding characters including Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man, while also bringing teams like the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Defenders, and the Eternals into its increasingly sprawling story.

The franchise is now in Phase Six, with Avengers: Doomsday set to bring together characters from across the MCU as well as returning figures from Marvel’s X-Men films.

Cage has played several comic-book characters in his career, starting with Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider in 2007’s Ghost Rider and its 2012 sequel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

He also played Big Daddy in Kick-Ass, voiced Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and reprised that character in the live-action Prime Video series Spider-Noir.

“One of the things I like about Spider-Noir, it wasn’t cutting to the fight. It was a detective story. There was a mystery there,” Cage said. “I would like to see it get back to telling the stories and not just cutting to the wrestling match.”

Spider-Noir followed Cage as Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York forced to confront his past as the city’s only superhero.

Created by Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, the eight-part series also starred Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, and Brendan Gleeson.

Spider-Noir leaned heavily into the visual and storytelling conventions of classic film noir, and was released in both black-and-white and colour versions. Cage previously told Variety that he drew on actors including Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G Robinson for his performance as he wanted to capture the style of the “old world” actors while combining it with Spider-Man to create a “Roy Lichtenstein pop-art sensation of sorts”.

The series was well received by critics, scoring 92 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, and received 11 Emmy nominations, the most of any Prime Video programme that year.

However, it was cancelled by Prime Video in September, just over three months after its launch.

Some fans have called out Cage’s “50-plus” comment, with one Instagram user pointing out that he played “Ghost Rider at 48 and Spider-Noir and 62”.

“Not mad when he was cashing those Spider-Man Noir, Ghost Rider and Superman checks though,” another wrote, referring to Cage being cast as Superman in Tim Burton’s unmade Superman film in the 1990s.

Others looked at the timing and wrote that Cage might just be “mad his Spider-Man got cancelled”.

One user took a more sympathetic view, writing that “he’s not wrong, but dude, you were Ghost Rider, and almost played Superman in a Tim Burton movie. Get off the high horse, Nick”.

Marvel is now gearing up for its biggest crossover since Avengers: Endgame, with Avengers: Doomsday, due in cinemas on 18 December.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the movie brings together Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men characters, alongside heroes from Wakanda, with Downey Jr returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom.

Its sprawling cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Tom Hiddleston.

Doomsday will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in December 2027, setting up another enormous ensemble.