Markdown edition

# Nicolas Cage says he refused an AI waiver for Spider-Noir

> Cage says he declined an AI waiver for Spider-Noir and may not work with Amazon again. The document is not public, and no AI use in the show or link to its cancellation has been established.

By BIG CHANGE Editorial

Published: 2026-10-11T09:55:09.293Z
Updated: 2026-10-11T09:55:09.293Z
Canonical: https://bigchange.ai/blog/nicolas-cage-spider-noir-ai-waiver-refusal

![Conceptual charcoal illustration of an empty director's chair on a generic film stage beside a small table holding a closed, unmarked envelope.](https://bigchange.ai/api/media/file/cage-ai-waiver-stage-hero-v1.png)
AI-generated conceptual editorial illustration by BIG CHANGE.

Nicolas Cage says he refused to sign an AI waiver connected to *Spider-Noir*, the television series in which he stars. Speaking at New York Comic Con on October 10, he said he was “probably” finished working with Amazon. His account raises a specific question about performer consent, but the proposed waiver has not been made public. Its terms, purpose and effect remain unknown.

The [Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-10-10/nicolas-cage-says-he-wont-work-with-amazon-again-over-ai-dispute) and [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/nicolas-cage-wont-work-with-amazon-again-refused-ai-waiver-for-spider-noir/) separately reported Cage's remarks at the convention. The [official Saturday schedule](https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en-us/schedule/saturday/full-schedule.html) places Cage on the Empire Stage on October 10. Neither outlet published the waiver itself. Both sought a response from Amazon; each reported that one had not arrived at the time of publication.

## The big change

- **What changed:** Cage publicly said he declined a request to sign a waiver allowing AI use on *Spider-Noir* and expects that choice may affect future work with Amazon.
- **Why it matters:** A performer's decision about proposed AI permission is a separate question from whether AI was used in the completed program. His refusal is documented as his account; the permission he was asked to grant is not documented publicly.
- **What remains open:** The waiver's wording, who requested it, the specific use contemplated and Amazon's account of the exchange. No public evidence links the disagreement to the series' reported cancellation.

## What Cage said, and what it establishes

TheWrap quotes Cage saying, “I didn't sign the waiver to let them use AI on ‘Spider Noir.’” He called himself “not an AI-friendly actor” and said he would “probably” not work with the studio again. The Los Angeles Times independently reported the refusal and his comments. The two reports establish that he made the allegation in public; they do not verify the document's terms or show that a proposed use went ahead.

That distinction matters because “AI use” can describe different activities in a production. A request involving a performer's digital likeness or voice would raise different questions from one about effects elsewhere in a show. Cage did not identify the technology, a scene, an asset or a proposed date of use in the remarks quoted by the two outlets. The waiver may have supplied those details, but its text is unavailable. It would be premature to describe it as permission for a digital replica, training on his performance, or any other particular application.

The [Prime Video description of *Spider-Noir*](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/spider-noir-nicolas-cage-prime-video) confirms that Cage stars in the Sony Pictures Television production and that it is streaming on Prime Video, following a domestic debut on MGM+. Amazon says viewers can choose black-and-white or color versions. That is distribution and presentation context, not evidence about the waiver or the use of generative AI. The finished series' availability also does not tell us when Cage says he was approached or what his refusal changed in production.

TheWrap describes the series as canceled after one season. That status supplies context for Cage's remark about future work, but the reporting does not connect the cancellation decision to the waiver. The show was already available to audiences before his October 10 comments. Without a statement from the decision makers or contemporaneous production records, neither a motive for cancellation nor an effect of the refusal can be assigned to the dispute.

## The consent question is narrower than the speculation

Performers have an established reason to scrutinize requests for AI permission. [SAG-AFTRA's 2026 TV and theatrical agreement](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/2026-tvtheatrical-contracts), effective July 1, describes protections for digital replicas and synthetics, building on earlier consent rules. A digital replica resembles an identifiable performer; a synthetic performer is a separate category under the union's terms. The agreement's existence helps explain why the scope and specificity of consent matter. It does not identify Cage's proposed waiver, establish which agreement governed the production, or show whether anyone breached a contract.

Cage's account is thus a concrete example of an actor saying no to a requested AI permission, with the practical consequence still unverified. Readers can distinguish three questions as more evidence emerges: What exactly did the proposed document authorize? Did the production make any AI use relevant to his performance? Did his refusal affect a future engagement? For now, only Cage's reported refusal and his stated expectation about Amazon are on the record. Amazon's explanation and the document would be needed to settle the rest.

## Sources & further reading

- [Los Angeles Times, “Nicolas Cage says he won't work with Amazon again over AI dispute,” October 10, 2026](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-10-10/nicolas-cage-says-he-wont-work-with-amazon-again-over-ai-dispute). Original reporting on Cage's New York Comic Con remarks. Its full page was inaccessible in this research session; the indexed excerpt corroborated the refusal and reported that Amazon had not immediately responded. No unseen detail from the article is used here.
- [TheWrap, “Nicolas Cage Says He ‘Probably’ Won't Work With Amazon Again After Refusing to Sign an AI Waiver for ‘Spider-Noir,’” October 10, 2026](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/nicolas-cage-wont-work-with-amazon-again-refused-ai-waiver-for-spider-noir/). Accessible original report quoting Cage directly and reporting a request for comment to Prime Video. It does not provide the waiver or confirm AI use in the show.
- [New York Comic Con, Saturday full schedule, October 10, 2026](https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en-us/schedule/saturday/full-schedule.html). Organizer's page confirming the Saturday date and Cage's stage appearance; it does not document the content of his remarks.
- [Amazon, “How to watch Spider-Noir,” accessed October 11, 2026](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/spider-noir-nicolas-cage-prime-video). Primary company source for the series' production and current streaming availability, not for the AI dispute.
- [SAG-AFTRA, 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts, accessed October 11, 2026](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/2026-tvtheatrical-contracts). Current union explanation of AI and digital-replica protections. It is context, not a copy of Cage's proposed waiver or evidence that a specific term applied to this production.

## Sources

- [Los Angeles Times: Nicolas Cage says he won't work with Amazon again over AI dispute](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-10-10/nicolas-cage-says-he-wont-work-with-amazon-again-over-ai-dispute) — Original reporting corroborating Cage's reported refusal and future-work remarks. Full page inaccessible; only indexed excerpt used.
- [TheWrap: Cage remarks at New York Comic Con](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/nicolas-cage-wont-work-with-amazon-again-refused-ai-waiver-for-spider-noir/) — Accessible original report with direct quotation, cancellation background and time-limited Prime Video request-for-comment status; no waiver text or confirmation of AI use.
- [New York Comic Con: Saturday full schedule](https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en-us/schedule/saturday/full-schedule.html) — Organizer confirms Saturday October 10 and Cage on the Empire Stage; not a transcript of remarks.
- [Amazon: How to watch Spider-Noir](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/spider-noir-nicolas-cage-prime-video) — Primary company description confirms Cage's starring role, Sony Pictures Television production, MGM+ debut and current Prime Video availability; does not address the dispute.
- [SAG-AFTRA: 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts](https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/2026-tvtheatrical-contracts) — Current union context on digital replicas, synthetics and consent; not evidence of Cage's waiver terms or the governing contract for this production.