Nicolas Cage Took Over Johnny Depp’s Marvel Role After Making Him Famous in Hollywood
Nicolas Cage is the reason why the world knows Johnny Depp as a spectacular actor. Depp had made a name for himself in the Florida music scene with his garage band The Kids, but one meeting with Cage and the Edward Scissorhands actor found him in his first acting audition. As things go in the world of entertainment, established names often discover new talents and become their guiding light. Cage became that light for Depp, the pair forged a strong bond.
However, years after the National Treasure actor made the Pirates of the Caribbean realized that his talent lies beyond music, Cage took over a Marvel role Depp was set to do.
Nicolas Cage Encouraged Johnny Depp to be an Actor
Nicolas Cage gets some credit for Johnny Depp‘s stellar career. After his band, The Kids split in the ’80s, the Jeanne Du Barry actor moved to Los Angeles to figure out his future prospects as a guitarist. A chance meeting with Cage, who was on the brink of stardom at the time changed his life overnight.
Over a game of Monopoly, Depp’s fate changed forever. Cage recounted the instance in an interview with The New York Times, saying:
“We were good friends, and we would play Monopoly, and he was winning a game, and I was watching him, and I said, ‘Why don’t you just try acting?’I said, ‘I think you can act.’ So I sent him to meet with my agent.’”
This is how Depp found himself auditioning for Wes Crenson’s horror-thriller Nightmare on Elm Street. Cage’s intuition proved right and Depp emerged as one of the biggest stars of the film industry. Speaking on Depp’s success with The New York Times Cage added:
“Overnight sensations don’t happen. But it happened with him.”
After kind of laying the first brick of Depp’s career, Cage took over a Marvel role Depp wanted to play.
Johnny Depp almost played the hit Marvel role which eventually went to Nicolas Cage
When Marvel first decided to bring the flamed-skull motorbike rider Ghost Rider to life in the early 2000s, they were looking for A-listers to play the enigmatic role. As reports from the time suggest, Johnny Depp was the front-runner among actors who were considered for the role. Depp himself was interested in playing the role of Johnny Blaze.
The film would have been Depp’s Marvel debut and was claimed to be in development in the year 2000 with a $75 million. However, as is the norm in Hollywood one thing or the other didn’t work out, and the film got shelved.
In 2007, the studio decided to bring the project back on track again but Depp couldn’t join. The actor was engaged in other projects like Sweeney Todd and Pirates Of The Caribbean films. Hence the role went to Nicolas Cage even as Depp was the primary choice for it.
Source: The New York Times and Screenrant
