In 1978, Superman took on Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor. A decade later, Batman battled Jack Nicholson's Joker. Now Columbia is looking for a superstar to play the Green Goblin, one of two villains in the big-screen Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire. (The other is Doctor Octopus.) And who tops the studio's list to hurl explosive jack-o'-lanterns as the hobgoblin? None other than Nicolas Cage -- who once considered starring in a Superman remake. ''He'd be a great Green Goblin,'' says the film's coexec producer (and comic-book creator) Stan Lee. Cage's publicist says the actor has been talking to the filmmakers, but his schedule is tighter than Spidey's bodysuit.


Sign up for EW.com's The 25 newsletter!

Stay in the know and get EW.com's top 5 stories, 5 days a week (sent weekday afternoons).