Nicolas Cage Says He Turned Down Spider-Man and Dumb and Dumber Roles for Other Films

Nicolas Cage says he turned down major roles in Spider-Man and Dumb and Dumber because he chose projects he felt were a better fit for him.

In an interview with Variety, Cage said director Sam Raimi wanted him to play the Green Goblin in 2002’s Spider-Man. Cage said he liked Raimi’s work on Evil Dead, but the two had different ideas about the film. Cage also suggested Spider-Man should have scenes showing him acting like a real spider when alone, but the idea was not used. He eventually chose to star in Adaptation instead.

Cage also revealed he passed on the role of Lloyd Christmas in 1994’s Dumb and Dumber, which later went to Jim Carrey. At the time, Cage decided to make Leaving Las Vegas instead.

The actor said both choices were the right decisions for him. Leaving Las Vegas earned Cage an Academy Award for Best Actor, while Adaptation received critical praise and four Oscar nominations.