Warning: SPOILERS for National Treasure: Edge of History Episodes 1 & 2Nicolas Cage doesn't appear in National Treasure: Edge of History season 1, but there are Easter eggs in the first two episodes referencing his character, Benjamin Gates. Of course, Gates was the hero of the National Treasure movies. Ben stole the Declaration of Independence in order to find the Templar treasure in 2004's National Treasure, and then Gates kidnapped the President (Bruce Greenwood) to uncover the Lost City of Gold in 2007's National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

National Treasure: Edge of History is set in the same universe as the films and picks up 15 years after Book of Secrets. Disney+'s TV series centers on a Dreamer named Jess Valenzuela (Lisette Olivera), whose family heirloom is a clue to Montezuma's gold. Jess and her friends, Tasha (Zuri Reed), Oren (Antonio Cipriano), Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues), and Liam (Jake Austin Walker), become a team of treasure hunters in true Benjamin Gates fashion. But also seeking Montezuma's prize is Billie Pearce (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Meanwhile, other familiar faces from the National Treasure films pop up, including Justin Bartha, who reprises Gates' partner Riley Poole later in Edge of History season 1.

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All Nicolas Cage Benjamin Gates Easter Eggs In National Treasure: Edge Of History Episodes 1 & 2

National Treasure Benjamin Gates Easter Egg

Benjamin Gates is neither seen nor is his name spoken in the first two episodes of National Treasure: Edge of History, but the sly references to Gates are unmistakable. In Edge of History episode 1, "I'm a Ghost," Jess seeks out Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel), the same FBI agent who apprehended and befriended Gates in the movies. Sadusky is impressed by Jess' proficiency with puzzles and determination, and he notes that he "knows somebody" like her, meaning Gates. Peter then directly quotes Gates in National Treasure when he says, "I've known men like him. Men who did what was considered wrong in order to do what they knew was right."

In National Treasure: Edge of History episode 2, "The Treasure Map," Jess and Tasha turn to the FBI after Oren is kidnapped by Billie. Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith) thinks their wild story and obviously fake aliases are a prank, but later her curiosity is piqued and Ross consults Agent Sadusky's file. There, Ross finds redacted reports about the events of National Treasure. Ross later confides to Agent Hendricks (Armando Riesco) that Sadusky "arrested the guy who stole the Declaration of Independence," unaware that Hendricks worked with Sadusky in the National Treasure movies.

Will Nicolas Cage's Benjamin Gates Appear In National Treasure: Edge Of History?

Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Justin Bartha in a scene from National Treasure.

It's certainly disappointing that Nicolas Cage won't reprise Benjamin Gates in National Treasure: Edge of History season 1, but there are hopes Cage will sign on to guest star in season 2. Of course, this is dependent on National Treasure: Edge of History becoming a hit series for Disney+. Also not returning in Edge of History is Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase. However, Edge of History season 1 does feature Riley Poole, Agent Peter Sadusky, and Agent Hendricks, so some key figures from the movies are represented to cement that it's all happening in a shared universe.

Sadly, Peter Sadusky has dementia, and he dies in the first episode of National Treasure: Edge of History. Whether Peter has a funeral so that Riley and other characters who knew him in the films attend remains to be seen. Meanwhile, National Treasure: Edge of History's showrunners are Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, who wrote the National Treasure movies, so the characters, puzzles, and treasure hunts are consistent. They may not have met (yet) in National Treasure: Edge of History, but Jess' ingenuity and relentlessness are already proving to be a match for Benjamin Gates'.

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National Treasure: Edge of History streams Wednesdays on Disney+.