Deadpool & Wolverine's multiverse characters played a key role in the film's success. The Void's Resistance allowed the film to be one of the MCU entries that really used the multiverse to the fullest, making characters like Channing Tatum's Gambit fan favorites. Chris Evans' return as a version of the Fantastic Four's Human Torch was also one of the film's most talked-about moments. However, there is one Marvel cameo the movie did not get, and that might have worked out for the best.

Deadpool & Wolverine Missed The Chance To Get 1 Major Marvel Movie Star Back For A Cameo

The MCU Movie Reached Out To A Popular Star For A Marvel Return

While Deadpool & Wolverine had many exciting cameos, the film did not manage to secure one of the classic live-action Marvel movie characters its Wade Wilson actor wanted to get. During his appearance on Entertainment Weekly's Awardist podcast, Ryan Reynolds revealed the one Deadpool & Wolverine cameo he tried to get but ultimately was not able to. According to the MCU star, he reached out to Nicolas Cage, who starred in two Ghost Rider movies.

Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch with a cut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

10 Marvel Movies That Could Fill The MCU’s 2028 Release Dates After The Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars Delays

The MCU has three release dates for secret movies in 2028, and after Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars were delayed, those could go to major heroes.

Posts 2

However, Cage "was a no-go," even though Reynolds would have loved to see the actor appear in Deadpool & Wolverine. While Cage's Ghost Rider never made it into the movie, fans can take a peek at what that could have looked like. That is because Deadpool & Wolverine concept art with Ghost Rider and Daredevil has been released. Marvel Studios Visual Development Supervisor Rodney Fuentebella showed a gorgeous illustration of the Resistance fighting the Deadpool Corps, and Ben Affleck's Daredevil and Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider were part of the team.

Nicolas Cage Only Returning For The Spider-Man Noir Show Makes It Feel More Special

The Actor Reprises One Of His Most Exciting Roles But In A New Way

While I would have liked to see Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider come back in Deadpool & Wolverine, I feel like his next superhero role is better for the actor in every way. Cage's version of Johnny Blaze and the two Ghost Rider movies he starred in were divisive. As such, Deadpool & Wolverine would have had to do what it did for Jennifer Garner's Elektra to try to get the audience behind Cage's Ghost Rider, propping him up as some form of redemption.

It marks the first actual live-action superhero role for the actor — not counting his disastrous cameo as Superman in The Flash — in many years

Given how he never appeared in Deadpool & Wolverine, I think Nicolas Cage's Spider-Man Noir role in Prime Video's Spider-Noir series is more special. It marks the first actual live-action superhero role for the actor — not counting his disastrous cameo as Superman in The Flash — in many years. Instead of being through Cage trying to redeem a failed role, it would be with the actor portraying the live-action version of Spider-Man Noir, a hero he played in the animated Spider-Verse franchise and has become beloved for doing so. It marks his return to Marvel in a special way.

Spider-Noir's Preview Underlines Why Nicolas Cage Not Returning In Deadpool & Wolverine Might Have Been For The Best

The First Look At Nicolas Cage's Spider-Man Noir Has Been Revealed

Nicolas Cage and Spider-Man Noir — Custom image by Felipe Rangel

I loved the multiverse characters Deadpool & Wolverine brought into the MCU. However, I can't deny that most of them were used mainly for comedic moments and action scenes. That means that Nicolas Cage's Ghost Rider, whose appearance and previous films could be played for jokes, would likely have fit that mold. Instead of going for that approach, Cage's role in Spider-Noir brings out a very different tone for his return to playing live-action Marvel heroes.

During the Amazon Upfront, Prime Video shared the first image and teaser for Nicolas Cage's Spider-Noir (via @nineralex/Twitter). It is easy to say that the Spider-Man series is going to have a darker and more serious tone than the MCU's Deadpool & Wolverine. As such, I feel this adds gravitas to Cage's live-action Marvel return. Spider-Noir looks to be like a prestige series that spotlights one of the actor's best roles in recent years, which I think is a better Marvel return for Nicolas Cage than tap into his divisive Ghost Rider in Deadpool & Wolverine.