Nicolas Cage has explained that he looked to Clint Eastwood for inspiration when writing his iconic bunny one-liner for Con Air.
The Oscar-winning actor recently walked down memory lane with Vanity Fair, sharing the backstories of several memorable scenes from his movies. He told the outlet he created the iconic “Put the bunny back in the box” line for ’90s action classic Con Air because he wanted his own Clint Eastwood-esque catchphrase.
“I wrote that line, ‘Put the bunny back in the box,’” Cage revealed, reflecting on Con Air. “You see these adventure films with these big stars, like Clint Eastwood, ‘Make my day’, and I thought, ‘How can I take that tradition, make the ‘Make my day’ so ridiculous? What can I come up with that will become my ‘Make my day’?’
“Bunnies are kind of funny,” he added. “I’m bringing a bunny to my daughter — that was another idea I put in. And that’s why I had the bunny because I wanted to say that line, ‘Put the bunny back in the box.’ It’s absurdity at its finest, but again, if you sell it with [laughs] genuine emotion and real determination, like this is the most serious thing in the world — and it is because he has to give it to his daughter who he hasn’t seen in six years. It’s serious, he means it, but it’s ridiculous, and that’s what I love about it.”
Con Air is a rambunctious classic that sees Cage (and his wind-blown hair) embody Cameron Poe, a newly-paroled Army Ranger who hitches a ride aboard a prison transport plane full of the worst criminals imaginable as he attempts to reunite with his wife and daughter while keeping her aforementioned bunny protected at all costs.
Cage has portrayed an eclectic mix of characters throughout his long-spanning career on screen, with many of his performances spawning iconic lines and becoming the source of internet memes. He previously admitted to feeling “frustrated” over the viral hilarity his roles attracted but said he eventually “made friends” with it.
The actor can currently be seen starring as biology professor Paul Matthews in A24’s R-rated comedy Dream Scenario, which sees Cage’s character become an overnight celebrity when he starts appearing in people’s dreams before the nightmare sets in, leaving viewers with some big WTF questions at the end of the film.

Legendary actor Clint Eastwood is one of the few yesteryear stars who is still active in the industry. The Gran Torino star has made a mark with his Westerns and is known as one of the most prolific directors to work with. At the age of 93, the veteran is still going strong by directing and starring in acclaimed dramas.
Back in his heyday, however, Eastwood was pursued by many studios to star in their blockbuster productions. While the action star has done a variety of roles, he has never played a superhero. The actor reportedly had a favorite Marvel character on his wishlist of superheroes, who was only recently introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Clint Eastwood’s Rejected The Role Of Superman

Clint Eastwood

Legendary actor Clint Eastwood was one of the biggest stars of the late ’60s and ’70s when he starred in the TV Western Rawhide and Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy. He became known for his Westerns and then transitioned to directing, starting with the mystery Play Misty For Me. He also gained notoriety for his police procedural action franchise Dirty Harry.
At the peak of his career, Eastwood was reportedly offered the role of Clark Kent in Richard Donner’s Superman. The film was going to star Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando in supporting roles and was going to be a huge project. However, comic book films were not the hot property they are now and were not a huge draw for stars at the time.
Clint Eastwood reportedly turned down the role as he was not a fan of the character. He mentioned in an interview (via FarOut Magazine),
“I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.”
The role ended up going to Christopher Reeves, a then-relatively unknown actor who became a huge star because of the role. He would go on to star in three more sequels. However, the Million Dollar Baby star was not completely apprehensive about the superhero genre and actually had a dream Marvel character in mind to play if he ever got the chance.
Clint Eastwood’s Dream Marvel Superhero

Tenoch Huerta as Namor

While Clint Eastwood rejected the role of Superman in Richard Donner’s epic two-parter, he reportedly had a dream Marvel character in mind to play on screen once. He revealed that he was a fan of the Marvel superhero Namor, the Sub-Mariner in the comics, and that he used to collect the comics as a kid.
Prince Namor is a mutant who is the son of a human and an Atlantean. He is part of the Atlantean royalty and is a fierce warrior who protects his homeland of Atlantis. The character was introduced in the MCU with last year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where he was played by Tenoch Huerta.
Namor has been a part of many Marvel superhero groups in the comics, including the Avengers and the X-Men. He is considered to be a nemesis for the Fantastic Four, especially Reed Richards. Namor had once taken away Susan Storm a.k.a the Invisible Woman after falling in love with her. There are also hints of Storm having feelings for Namor as well. In a ‘What If’ comic run, Sue Storm actually gets together with Namor and becomes the Atlantean Queen.
Clint Eastwood’s golden age dreams finally seem to have come to fruition as Namor was introduced in the MCU. Though he could not play the role, he can at least watch his beloved comic be realized on screens as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are soon set to debut in the MCU.

People think that Clint Eastwood’s character, the Man with No Name in the Dollars Trilogy, was silent because of a language barrier between him and the Italian director Sergio Leone. But in reality, it was not the case.

Man with No Name
The silence of the Man with No Name was a deliberate creative choice rather than a necessity imposed by language barriers. For this character, the actor had a specific suggestion. But to make that happen, he had to engage in a disagreement with the director to ensure its implementation in the film.
Clint Eastwood Had to Fight With Dollars Trilogy‘s Director for an Idea
Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood
In a 1980 interview with Ric Gentry (via Slash Film), Clint Eastwood revealed the creative process behind his iconic character, the Man with No Name. He told how Sergio Leone and his co-writers developed a detailed backstory for his character.
Eastwood expressed his desire to portray a character who would have minimal dialogue. He wanted his character “to play it with an economy of dialogue and to build a whole feeling through attitude and movements.” The actor wanted to “keep the mystery of the character and just allude to what happened in the past.”
When Eastwood suggested this approach to Leone, the director initially had reservations. Although Leone did agree (to some extent), it was challenging for the director’s Italian mindset. As the actor said:
Sergio argued with me, though he did agree in a way, but it was just much harder for the Italian mentality to accept. They’re just used to so much more exposition and I was throwing that out.”
The director eventually agreed with Eastwood’s idea to keep the character mysterious with minimal dialogue.
Clint Eastwood’s Silent Iconic Character Revitalized the Western Genre
Clint Eastwood’s iconic character
In the same interview, Clint Eastwood shared that the producers were aghast after the film ended. As per Eastwood (via Slash Film), “They said, ‘Christ, this guy isn’t doing anything. He isn’t saying anything. He doesn’t even have a name! And that cigar is just sitting there burning.’”
But his reserved character with the brief dialogue and the symbolic cigar revitalized the Western genre. The Hollywood actor became a worldwide star with the character, and Sergio Leone solidified his reputation as a master filmmaker. This success shows that sometimes, having less in a film—simplicity and subtlety—can be not just enough but essential for creating a cinematic bang-up job.