Nicolas Cage says he doesn't need to be in the MCU because he's Nic Cage

Nicolas Cage has no plans to join the MCU – and he has the perfect reason why. The actor was asked about superhero movies at Miami Film Festival, where he picked up the Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award.

"I’ve gotta be nice about Marvel movies, because I named myself after a Stan Lee character named Luke Cage. What am I going to do, put Marvel movies down? Stan Lee is my surrealistic father. He named me," he told Variety. "I understand what the frustration is. I get it. But I think there’s plenty of room for everybody. I’m seeing movies like Tár. I’m seeing all kinds of artistic and independently driven movies. I think there’s plenty of room for everybody."

When asked if he would ever join the MCU, he had a simple response: "I don’t need to be in the MCU, I’m Nic Cage."

While Cage may not have appeared in any MCU projects, he has been in one Marvel Comics adaptation: he played Johnny Blaze, AKA Ghost Rider, in the 2007 movie of the same name. The character, who first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1972, is a stunt motorcyclist who gives up his soul to the demon Mephisto in order to save his father's life. This means that at night and when he's around evil, his flesh is consumed by hellfire and his head becomes a flaming skull.

Next up for Cage is Renfield, in which he plays Count Dracula opposite Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina. The movie arrives in theaters on April 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of the best upcoming movies on the horizon, along with our list of the year's most exciting movie release dates.