Of all the actors working in Hollywood today, there is nobody better, and also nobody worse, than Nicolas Cage. From playing an unrealistic treasure hunter in “National Treasure” to his Oscar-winning role in “Leaving Las Vegas,” Cage consistently gives audiences performances that are nothing short of bizarre and over-the-top, sometimes verging on incomprehensible.

When watching a Nicolas Cage film, every scene without him makes me wish he was there, and every time I watch a movie he is not in, I realize how much better the movie would be if only he were right there screaming something nonsensical or pulling some other classic Cage move.

Recently, Cage has received criticism for comments he made regarding his trip to Kazakhstan. Because there are so many characters that would have been better if Cage had played them, and because of his recent controversial comments, here are 10 of the many, many characters that Cage obviously should have played.

1. Hugh Glass in “The Revenant.”

I mean sure, Leonardo Dicaprio did a great job dragging himself through rugged terrain and getting attacked by a bear in this role, but just imagine if the amazing Nicolas Cage had been given the chance to do it.

That bear wouldn’t have stood a chance. Cage seems to scream and yell unnecessarily in most of his movies, so this role would have been right up his alley. Oh, what could have been.


2. Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood"

One of the best performances of all time has to be Daniel-Day Lewis’s hauntingly beautiful portrayal of a ruthless oil prospector in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s film “There Will Be Blood.”

Day-Lewis won a whole slew of awards for this performance, including the Oscar for Best Actor in A Leading Role. There was only one possible thing that could have made the performance better, and that would be if the role had been played by Nicolas Cage.

3. The Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

3. Many would argue that Heath Ledger’s astounding performance as the Joker could never be rivaled in any way, shape or form. Jared Leto certainly did not come anywhere close in last year’s disastrous “Suicide Squad.”

Nobody will ever match Ledger, unless of course Nicolas Cage ever got the chance to play the character. His lunatic-like impulses and possibly psychopathic behavior make him a prime contender for a comic book villain.

4. Batman in “The Dark Knight.”

“The Dark Knight” is probably the greatest superhero film ever made, and one of the best films of any kind that have been released this century. Christian Bale did a solid enough job as Batman, but it was still nothing compared to what Cage could have brought to the role.

For this movie to reach its true full potential, Cage would have had to play both Batman and The Joker, which would have really cemented the idea that maybe Batman is not so different from the villains he battles.

5. Lester Burnham in “American Beauty.”

“American Beauty” is personally one of my favorite films of all time. Kevin Spacey gives the performance of his career as Lester, a husband and father going through a complete mid-life crisis. It is beautiful, emotional, and ultimately tragic.

Spacey did an amazing job navigating the different emotions that come with the character, but the only one who could have navigated this difficult emotional terrain better would be the king of on-screen emotion himself, Nicolas Cage. The movie’s ending is tragic, but the real tragedy here is that Cage had no role in the film.

6. Sebastian in “La La Land.”

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone brought musicals back to life last year with the wonderful “La La Land.” The film’s terrific acting, impressive musical numbers and irresistible sense of heart made for one of the most joyous film-going experiences of the year.

But, what could have made it even more joyous? You guessed it, the addition of Nicolas Cage; preferably in the role of Sebastian. Sorry Ryan Gosling, but you should have stepped aside to make way for Mr. Cage. Can he sing or dance? Who cares? It’s Nicolas Cage!

7. Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.

The first two “Pirates of the Caribbean” films gave film-goers a savory swashbuckling cinematic treat and featured a quirky yet brilliant performance by Johnny Depp in the lead role. The three sequels since then have all been pretty awful, so the franchise definitely peaked early on.

The most recent Pirates movie was an embarrassing new low for a once great franchise, so it looks like Johnny Depp is no longer capable of carrying these films. If I could give the producers a hint of advice, I would tell them to consider picking a new lead for Pirates 6. Maybe, I don’t know, Nicolas Cage?

8. Wolverine in the “X-Men” films.

It was tough to say goodbye to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine character in this year’s “Logan.” It was a role Jackson had played for years, and he masterfully performed it. The only problem is, Nicolas Cage should have always been the obvious choice for Wolverine. An angry, tormented mutant with giant claws that come out of his hands? That sounds like prime Cage territory to me.

9. Chuck Nolan in "Castaway"

Tom Hanks gave a showcase performance in this role, but I still think Nicolas Cage could have done even better. Watching any Cage movie makes a viewer feel trapped alone on a deserted island for several years with a volleyball as your only friend anyway, so how did Cage not land this part?

10. The Beast in “Beauty and the Beast”

Now, this one really baffles me. Nicolas Cage would have been the perfect Beast. They would not even have had to put any make-up on him or use any visual effects. They would just need to tell Cage not to shave for a few weeks and to act as beast-like as he could, and that would be scarier than anything that could be done with CGI or make-up.

Nicolas Cage’s body of work is already impressive, but it could have been even greater if only he had been given the chance to play some of these roles. The only way to make a truly perfect movie would be if every single character in the movie was played by Cage. We can only hope that someday, that will be a reality.