True Detective is gearing up for Season 5 on HBO and the rumor is that Nicolas Cage is set to star in it. And honestly, it’s exactly what this series needs.
The HBO Emmy-winning crime anthology was off to a great start with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson leading the first season. Season 2 elevated itself once more with Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams taking the reins. Season 3 had the immensely talented Mahershala Ali leading that season’s investigation. And Season 4 had Jodie Foster alongside Kali Reis with creator Nic Pizzolatto taking a step back as showrunner with Issa López stepping in.
In all that time, True Detective has been seen as prestige television. With it comes certain accolades like Emmy awards and highbrow actors continuing to make their transition from only doing movies into entering the TV space. But I do think that sometimes shows get lost in the prestige of it all and innovation falls flat. What you end up with is new mysteries each season but in a format that feels a little too predictable.
This is where Nicolas Cage comes in.
I know a lot of people clown on him because of the projects he takes on. He’s done everything from comedy to action, drama, and animated films. He was even Ghost Rider at one point and a sorcerer at another. And while some might see that as him lacking direction or focus in what kind of actor he wants to be, I see it as him being comfortable with taking risks and flipping stagnation the bird.
Cage is the perfect addition to True Detective Season 5 in that we’re not going to know what version of him we’re going to get as a viewer. We don’t know if we’re going to see the silent type that we encountered in Willy’s Wonderland. We don’t know if we’re going to meet the risk taker we saw in Gone in 60 Seconds. We don’t even know if we are going to see a version of Cage who has a family like in the 2000 classic The Family Man.
With Cage you don’t get stagnation. You get reinvention and an opportunity to soft relaunch a show that has made it into its fifth season in a time where this doesn’t happen anymore. Shows don’t make it past Season 1. But True Detective has. And if Cage comes in for Season 5, you’re going to get a whole new genre of fans taking a chance on a crime drama that maybe they wouldn’t have given a chance to before.
Keeping all of this in mind, casting someone like Cage for True Detective Season 5, can still get them an Emmy nomination or win. I still remember being traumatized by City of Angels with him and Meg Ryan. I also still remember falling absolutely in love with the holiday romance The Family Man. Cage has range and the kind of acting he does leaves a mark that is felt across all genres.
So bring it on True Detective Season 5. Cast Nicolas Cage and make some noise.
