Nicolas Cage believes he will only continue to act for a few more years before focusing on directing instead. Cage has been acting for over 35 years and has left an indelible mark with some of his performances. From his heartbreaking turn in Leaving Las Vegas to his memorably outlandish performance in Vampire’s Kiss, Cage is an actor who always leaves an impression, regardless of the film.

Most of Cage’s recent filmography have been straight to DVD action or horror movies, most of which have been poorly received. There have been recent signs of the actor making something of a comeback thanks to well-received turns in movies like Mom and Dad and Mandy. Cage himself also got to fulfil a lifelong ambition to play Superman by voicing the character in upcoming animated adventure Teen Titans GO! To The Movies. He was previously attached to Tim Burton’s unmade blockbuster Superman Lives.

The actor has been working so much in recent years partially due to personal financial issues, but he recently revealed to The Blast that in a few years he’s going to focus on directing over acting:

In terms of producing and directing, yes, I’m getting back in production. My company, Saturn Films, is involved in all the movies I’m doing now. Directing is something I’d look forward to down the road, because right now I’m primarily a film performer. I’m going to continue doing that for three or four more years and then I’d like to focus more on directing.


While Cage’s comments could be interpreted as him wanting to quit acting, he’s really saying he’d like to make directing his focus in a few years. He may continue to act if the right part comes along or if it helps his own projects get off the ground, but after so many decades working as an actor and playing so many different types of roles, he’s ready for new creative challenges. The actor is no stranger to directing either, having previously moved behind the camera for 2002 indie drama Sonny, starring James Franco.

Cage recently made headlines when he said he’s love to play the Joker in a movie, and that it would be a ‘perfect‘ role for him. That idea got fans excited, but between Jared Leto’s DCEU take and Joaquin Phoenix possibly taking on the role for Warner Bros once-off Joker movie, it seems he may not get the chance. The actor hasn’t had much luck with comic book movies in general, having appeared in the poorly-received Ghost Rider movies and missing out on roles like the Green Goblin in Spider-Man; that said, he did receive good reviews for his turn in Kick-Ass.

Hopefully, Nicolas Cage will make a big screen comeback before making a switch to directing, so he can gift audiences with a few more of unique performances first.