Spider-Noir: Nicolas Cage Says He Refused to Sign Amazon's AI Waiver

Nicolas Cage says he declined to sign a waiver that would have let Amazon use artificial intelligence on Spider-Noir, and that he will probably not work with the company again. According to Variety, he made the comments on Saturday, October 10, during a panel on the Empire Stage at New York Comic Con.

The remarks landed at a sensitive moment for the series, which was canceled weeks earlier, and they added a new dimension to a conversation already underway about how studios and streamers approach artificial intelligence in the production of film and television.

What Cage Said in New York

Cage described Amazon as a very AI-friendly company, pointing to its reported $50 billion investment in OpenAI, and said he is not an AI-friendly actor. He did not detail what the waiver contained, and his comments do not establish that his refusal led to the show's cancellation, according to WDW News Today.

That limit matters. The public record so far consists of what Cage said on stage, and neither the terms of the waiver nor any response tied to it have been laid out in the coverage. What can be said is that the actor chose not to sign, that he has framed the decision as a matter of principle, and that he does not expect to return to the company. Any connection between his position and the show's fate remains unestablished.

A Canceled Series With a Strong Awards Record

Amazon canceled Spider-Noir after one season in September, despite positive reviews. Deadline reports the series earned 11 Emmy nominations, more than any other Amazon series this year, and it went on to win five, including awards for cinematography, visual effects and stunt coordination. The show premiered on May 27 and was Cage's first starring role in a TV series.

The gap between the show's critical reception and its early end is what gave Cage's comments additional attention. A series that collects the most nominations on its platform and then wins in craft categories rarely ends after a single season without prompting questions. The wins in cinematography, visual effects and stunt coordination also point to a production recognized largely for its technical and physical work, areas that sit close to the broader debate about how much of a screen performance should be created by people.

For Cage, the series also marked a change of pace after decades spent largely in feature films. Starring in a television series for the first time put him in a format that asks an actor to carry a character across many hours rather than a single story, and the Emmy recognition for the production suggests the experiment was well received by the industry even though the show will not continue.

Spider-Man Noir Beyond the Series

The character at the center of the show has a longer history than the series itself. Spider-Man Noir was introduced by Marvel Comics in 2009 through writers David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky, and the story is set in New York during the 1930s. The version of the hero is darker and more grounded than the mainline comics, which made him a natural fit for a crime-driven period setting.

Cage's connection to the character predates the Amazon series. He voiced Spider-Man Noir in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018, and he is set to return to the role in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which is due in 2027. That film remains on his schedule, so his stated reluctance about Amazon does not affect his animated work with the character.

Why the AI Question Matters to Performers

Cage's stance connects to a concern that has run through Hollywood in recent years. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, protections around digital replicas and the use of an actor's likeness were among the central issues, and the agreement that ended the strike included provisions on consent and compensation for digital replicas. The terms of individual contracts and waivers can go further than those industry-wide rules, which is why a request to sign an AI-related document has become a point of negotiation for some performers.

Cage's comments are notable because he is describing a personal decision rather than a union position. Whether other actors on the series were asked to sign similar documents has not been reported, and no details have emerged about what the waiver covered. Until Amazon or other parties address the matter, the account rests on Cage's own description of events.

Television Plans Continue

At the same panel, Cage confirmed he is likely to appear in a season of HBO's True Detective, a role he has reportedly been in talks about since last year. He also said he is interested in doing more television.

The comment suggests that the experience on Spider-Noir has not soured him on the medium, only on one company's approach to the technology. With the HBO role expected and a return to the animated Spider-Verse franchise on the calendar for 2027, his next projects are already taking shape, and both will be watched for how they handle the same questions he raised in New York.