True Detective Season 5 Could Have Nicolas Cage As Its Lead

Each season of True Detective is defined by its central star(s). Season 1 gave us the iconic pairing of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson; Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams took the lead in Season 2; Season 3 hinged on Mahershala Ali; and Season 4, aka Night Country, gave us the pairing of Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. Now, the upcoming fifth season of True Detective may have just found its new lead – and it’s an instant no-brainer.

According to Deadline, internet favourite – and all-out Hollywood legend – Nicolas Cage is in talks to lead Season 5 of HBO’s brooding crime anthology. Details on the series are being kept firmly under wraps, but given the events of previous seasons, odds are Cage will be stepping into the role of yet another lawman, caught in the web of an unsolvable mystery. Oh, and things will probably get really, really weird. The only other information we have comes from HBO, which revealed earlier that the new story will unfold against the backdrop of Jamaica Bay, New York. The season will come from Night Country showrunner Issa López, who took over duties from original creator Nic Pizzolatto (to his famous disgruntlement).

Cage is a busy man, fresh off Empire favourite The Surfer, and with David O. Russell’s Madden and Prime Video’s Spider-Noir series on the horizon our screens won’t be parched of the star any time soon. However, with his recent run of strange, unhinged dramatic roles, the idea of him stepping into the world of True Detective feels like a perfect fit. He may even give Matthew McConaughey’s philosophically rambling, nihilistic Rust Cohle from the series’ first season a run for his money.

Stay tuned to see if Cage does officially sign on. If he does take on the case, mark your calendars: the show is expected to arrive in 2027.