Nicolas Cage Explains Hilarious Reason Why Ghost Rider Role Made Him Never Want to Work Out Again

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony nearly got its own Ghost Rider Universe off the ground. Though the franchise only lasted two films, Nic Cage found himself playing the Spirit of Vengeance in both features. Now that he's on the press circuit for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the star is being asked time and time again if he would reprise the role once more in a new age.

While the jury's still out on that one, the actor said in one interview he refuses to work out as hard as he did on the first Ghost Rider, all for a pretty simple reason: nobody thought he actually toned up to become a superhero.

"They [Cage's ab muscles] are real, and that's why I'll never work out that hard again," Cage said in an interview with GQ. "Because nobody wanted to believe they were real and they wanted to believe it was CGI, which it wasn't so what's the point?"

Earlier this month, Cage stepped around the idea of returning, only saying he greatly admires the world of comic books.

"These are hot topics, and I get it, because these are the types of things that become like wildfire on the internet," Cage explained. "I've always admired the realm of the comic book and I've always thought stories were really colorful and entertaining and, frankly, kind of wholesome in a really positive way. I don't know what the umbrage is with people that want to knock them. I certainly think there's great value in that they're bringing happiness to people."

"Y'know, Ghost Rider was a movie that always should've been an R-rated movie. David Goyer had a brilliant script, which I wanted to do with David and for whatever reason they just didn't let us make the movie," he added in a separate interview. "But that movie is a still a movie that should be made, not with me obviously, but it should be an R-rated movie-heck, Deadpool was R-rated and that did great. Ghost Rider was designed to be a scary superhero with an R-rating and edge and they just didn't have it worked out back then."

Cage can be seen in both Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, now streaming on Hulu.

Who would you like to see play the MCU's Spirit of Vengeance? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!