Nicolas Cage, who has long been the face of both Ghost Rider and Spider-Noir, now finally seems ready to hand the winning crown to Ghost Rider if the two Marvel icons ever faced off. Both the Ghost Rider and Spider-Noir franchises have spent years building massive fanbases and smashing global box office numbers through their own cult legacy and Spider-Verse phenomenon. And while the clash itself would likely turn into a brutal neck-to-neck Marvel showdown, Cage still appears fully convinced that only one of them would actually walk out alive.

According to Cage, Ghost Rider would easily dominate the battle because of the terrifying “Penance Stare,” one of Marvel’s most dangerous supernatural abilities that forces victims to experience the pain and guilt of their sins. Cage joked that Spider-Noir would simply “melt” under the attack, especially since Ben Reilly carries deep inner torment and emotional guilt within his storyline. That crushing psychological burden ultimately makes Spider-Noir a highly vulnerable target against Ghost Rider’s mystical powers.

“Ghost Rider. He’s got the Penance Stare… Ben Reilly Spider-Noir has a lot of guilt, he would melt”. Cage revealed while promoting his live-action series, Spider-Noir, at the New York World Premiere.

Interestingly, Cage physically portrayed Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, with both films collectively pulling over $360 million worldwide despite mixed critical reactions. Meanwhile, his noir version of Spider-Man exploded into a cultural phenomenon through Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which together generated more than $1 billion globally and transformed Spider-Noir into one of the franchise’s most beloved alternate Spider-Man variants.

Adding even more fuel to the Marvel chaos, Cage is returning once again as Spider-Noir through a television series arriving next week.

Nicolas Cage officially returns in live-action Spider-Noir series

Spider-Noir officially premieres on the MGM+ broadcast channel on May 25, 2026, before rolling out globally through Prime Video on May 27 across more than 240 countries and territories. Instead of a weekly release schedule, the series will drop all eight episodes at once, pushing viewers directly into its dark 1930s New York setting where Nicolas Cage plays an older, broken Ben Reilly forced to return as “The Spider” after a new, dangerous case drags him back into the city’s criminal underworld. One of the show’s most unusual features also allows audiences to watch the entire series either in “Authentic Black & White” noir style or in full cinematic colour.

Alongside Cage, the live-action Marvel series stars Brendan Gleeson as crime boss Silvermane, Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson, Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy, and Jack Huston as a gangster-era Sandman variant. Produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios, the project also reunites several major creative minds behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse including Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal, while Emmy-winning director Harry Bradbeer helms the opening episodes.

While Nicolas Cage may have already declared Ghost Rider the ultimate winner over Spider-Noir, the upcoming live-action Spider-Noir series still looks ready to pull Marvel fans straight back into its dark detective chaos next week.

Who do you think would actually win in a Spider-Noir vs Ghost Rider showdown? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Lisa Roy

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui