NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2026 — Nicolas Cage says he refused to sign an artificial-intelligence waiver connected with Amazon’s Spider-Noir and suggested the disagreement may mean he does not work with the studio again. The actor made the remarks during a Saturday, October 10, spotlight panel at New York Comic Con, according to reporting by Variety and TheWrap.
Cage draws a line on AI
Cage described himself as not being an actor who embraces AI. He said Amazon wanted him to sign a waiver permitting AI use related to Spider-Noir, and that he declined. He also linked his concerns to Amazon’s broader investment in artificial intelligence, according to the accounts of the panel.
The actor said he probably would not work with Amazon again, although his comments did not amount to a formal announcement that future collaborations are impossible. His account has not established what the proposed waiver specifically covered, and the cited reports do not reproduce its language.
Amazon canceled Spider-Noir after one season in September. The series had received 11 Emmy nominations, Variety reported. No causal connection between Cage’s refusal and the cancellation has been established.
What this means for Hollywood performers
The dispute puts a practical question at the center of Hollywood’s AI debate: what permission should a performer give a production company to use technology involving an actor’s image, voice or performance? Without the document itself, it would be misleading to say that this particular waiver authorized a digital replica, voice clone or training use.
Cage also expressed enthusiasm for younger, hands-on filmmakers, including Backrooms director Kane Parsons, according to UPI’s coverage of the New York Comic Con panel. For an actor known for distinctive physical performances, the conversation is as much about artistic control as it is about new tools.
Sources
- Variety, Oct. 11: Cage’s New York Comic Con remarks and Spider-Noir context
- TheWrap, Oct. 10: Independent reporting on Cage’s AI-waiver comments
- UPI, Oct. 11: New York Comic Con panel report
Featured photo: Nicolas Cage at the 2018 Sitges Film Festival, not at New York Comic Con. Photo by Moritz Barcelona via Wikimedia Commons; cropped from the original; CC BY 2.0.