SAN DIEGO -- If you couldn't tell by the fiery skull tattoo on his arm or the newborn son he named Kal-el, Nicolas Cage has a thing for comics.
Which has made it all the stranger witnessing the Oscar-winning actor struggle and fail to star in a superhero movie of his own.
First there was a mid-'90s remake of Superman for director Tim Burton which was scuttled months before production. Then there was Constantine, based on the Hellblazer graphic novels, which eventually went to Keanu Reeves.
At last, Cage -- who took his stage name from Marvel Comics' hero Luke Cage -- has appeased his not-so-inner geek, starring in a big-screen version of Marvel Comics' Ghost Rider, due in theatres in April.
And yes, according to Cage, who appeared at this weekend's Comic-Con International, he had a hell of a time in the role.
"It was wonderful for me because, as you know, it's been a long time I've been trying to do it," he tells the Sun. "But you know, I'm a big believer that the right character is the one that ultimately happens. I enjoyed Superman Returns. I think Brandon (Routh) was the right choice for the part. I absolutely think Ghost Rider is the right part for me. It's a better match."
In Ghost Rider, Cage stars as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who, in order to save his father's life, surrenders his soul to become a fiery spirit of vengeance.
"I like the monsters. When I was a kid, I fantasized about turning into monsters to scare the bully away. Ghost Rider and the Hulk were my real introductions into the comic book world ... With Ghost Rider, I got to kill two birds with one stone -- being in a horror film in the grander sense, like The Wolfman, and a comic book-based movie."
While Cage parted ways with much of his comic collection a few years ago, his Ghost Rider books remain untouched.
"I would never sell those. They're in a special room ... framed and on the wall."
Recalling the comedy and horror of An American Werewolf in London, Cage reveals he's given his demonic vigilante a few eccentricities.
"There are little habits he has. He has a fetish for jelly beans. He reads a lot, but he's something of a cowboy ... And Ghost Rider is a Karen Carpenter fan.
"I remember when I was in a dental chair, they always play these soft, soothing types of music and Johnny Blaze is sort of literally sitting in a dental chair every second of his life.
"So I think he's constantly trying to relax ... He's such a bad ass, he needs to calm down with Karen Carpenter and jelly beans."
