We’ve got our first look at Spider-Noir that includes how Nicolas Cage is putting his stamp on the Spider-Man mythos!
It’s easy to be wary of anything Spider-Man related that’s not part of the MCU. The Sony Spider-Verse collapsed into joke projects like Morbius and Madame Web, as fans are more eager to see Tom Holland back in the role for Brand New Day.
However, fans still loved Into the Spider-Verse, the Oscar-winning animated film bringing together scores of alternate Spider champions. Across the Spider-Verse was just as good as the wait for the third film continues.
Among the variants introduced was Spider-Noir, a take on the character set in a 1930s world. Voiced by Nicolas Cage, the character connected so well that he's now getting his own show, which is the first live-action series for the Oscar-winning actor.
Esquire revealed the first images of the show, in both color and black-and-white and detailed the plotline. That includes the surprise revelation that, rather than Peter Parker, this Spider-Man is called Ben Reilly. According to showrunner Oren Uziel, that’s because a young teenager wouldn’t fit this gritty private eye world, whereas Ben is more battered and world-weary.
Cage himself had pushed for this, explaining how he wanted to capture the feel of classic noir movies.
"We could take a 1930s film-noir style—meaning that manner of speaking, the Howard Hawks quick dialogue—and mash it into another icon in the Marvel realm, which would be the spider element. It would be like a Roy Lichtenstein collision of art appreciation. Oren loved the idea. But it wasn't something that we knew right off the bat necessarily would work for both of us. It wasn't until we went to the first read-through that I could tell the powers that be were very intrigued by it. It really wasn't 100 percent clear to me until I saw the eight episodes. I think we got there, as challenging as it felt at the time.”
Anyone who knows of Cage’s career knows the actor has never shied away from any challenge, which is fueled by his unique performance.
You’re seeing double for a reason. “Spider-Noir” is coming soon in both Authentic Black & White and True-Hue Full Color. pic.twitter.com/SBhnSZfYx7
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) February 10, 2026
How will Cage play the role of Ben Reilly?
Many know Cage is a longtime comic book fan who’s delved into the genre. That includes Tim Burton’s infamously never-made Superman movie and playing Johnny Blaze in the Ghost Rider films. It’s also notable how Cage vanishes into his parts with his own unique style, so it’s no wonder a TV show offers him more opportunities to expand his repertoire.
For Ben, Cage looked to the past and legendary movies and actors to craft a much different Spider-Man than audiences are used to.
"I did look at Cagney, and I looked at Edward G. Robinson. But when you watch Bogart and you watch everybody around him, he almost seems like a cartoon character. The same thing happens here. But it's brilliant and you can't take your eyes off the guy. It's what makes him so compelling and charismatic. It almost seemed larger than life."
If anyone can pull off this dynamic, it would have to be Cage. The cast includes Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson, Brendan Gleeson as mob boss Silvermane, Li Jun Li as nightclub singer Cat Hardy and Jack Huston as Flint Marko, aka the Sandman.
It’s still unclear how the show will integrate superheroics and Spider-Man lore into the setting, but Cage’s always fantastic acting skills, combined with the material, should make this a must-watch show for any Spider-Man fan.