Nicolas Cage won't sign Amazon's 'Spider-Noir' AI waiver

Nicolas Cage told a New York Comic Con "Spotlight" panel on Saturday that he refused to sign the AI waiver Amazon handed him on the Prime Video series "Spider-Noir," and said he does not expect to work with the studio again. Variety reported the remarks from the October 10 panel.

"Amazon is a very AI-friendly company, to the tune of $50 billion invested in OpenAI. I am not an AI-friendly actor, so it's like, connect those dots!" Cage said. He added: "I didn't sign the waiver to let them use AI on 'Spider Noir.' I'm probably not going to be working with that studio again."

Cage played Ben Reilly/The Spider in the series, which Amazon MGM Studios canceled after one season despite 11 Emmy nominations and 2.6 billion minutes viewed in its first six weeks on Prime Video, according to TheWrap. Cage told the panel he was content with the ending: "For me, one season is perfect, having said what I wanted to say with this dangerous, innovative, pop-art Spider-Man."

He did not describe what the waiver would have authorized, did not name an Amazon executive, and did not invoke SAG-AFTRA. He teased a next move instead, saying "I think I might do a season of 'True Detective,'" and explained the pivot to television with: "You can only do so many movies back to back to back."