Nicolas Cage is stepping back into the web-slinging world of Marvel, but this time he is doing it in live-action. The upcoming series Spider-Noir brings the gritty, black-and-white world of a 1930s private investigator to life on Amazon Prime Video. For anyone who loved Cage’s voice performance in the animated Spider-Verse movies, the big question is whether this new show features the exact same character. The answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no, but the creative team behind the series has crafted a fascinating connection that honors the source material while building something new.
The first trailer for Spider-Noir dropped recently, giving audiences their first real look at Cage as Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck detective in Depression-era New York who used to be the city’s only superhero . The series is set to premiere on May 27, 2026 on Prime Video internationally, with an early debut on MGM+ in the United States on May 25 . All eight episodes will be available for binge-watching on the same day, and viewers will even get to choose between watching in “Authentic Black & White” or “True-Hue Full Color” .
The Character’s Journey From Comics to Animation to Live-Action
To understand where the new series fits, it helps to look back at where this version of Spider-Man started. The Spider-Man Noir character first appeared in Marvel Comics in 2009, created by writers David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky with artist Carmine Di Giandomenico . In the comics, this version of Peter Parker lived on Earth-90214 during the Great Depression. After being bitten by a spider inside a mystical idol, he gained powers and became a vigilante fighting crime boss Norman Osborn, also known as the Goblin .
When Nicolas Cage voiced the character in the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the movie introduced millions of fans to this unique take on the web-slinger . That version spoke in vintage 1930s slang, wore a trench coat and fedora over his costume, and stole every scene he was in. He later made a brief non-speaking cameo in the sequel Across the Spider-Verse . The movie version was so popular that Marvel Comics later adjusted the comic book character to more closely resemble Cage’s portrayal, incorporating similar personality traits and dialogue patterns .
Ben Reilly vs. Peter Parker: The Name Change Explained
The most noticeable difference between the animated version and the new live-action series is the character’s name. In the Spider-Verse movies, Cage voiced a character clearly identified as Peter Parker from a noir dimension. In the upcoming Spider-Noir series, Cage plays Ben Reilly .
This name carries significant weight for longtime Spider-Man fans. In mainstream Marvel comics, Ben Reilly is the clone of Peter Parker, first appearing in the 1990s and later becoming the hero known as Scarlet Spider . The name itself combines two important family names from Peter’s life—Ben after his Uncle Ben, and Reilly which is Aunt May’s maiden name .
So why the change for a live-action series? The producers made a deliberate creative choice. Phil Lord, one of the executive producers behind both the Spider-Verse films and this new series, explained that there is a specific reason for using the Ben Reilly name that will be revealed during the show . The producers felt that the name Peter Parker traditionally suggests a younger character, often a teenager just coming into his powers. Since Cage’s version is an older, more world-weary investigator, they wanted a name that better fit the character’s age and experience level .
Is It the Same Character From the Spider-Verse Movies?
This is where careful explanation matters. The Spider-Noir series is not a direct continuation of the animated film version, but it is also not completely separate . Think of it as a reimagining or a different take on the same core concept, built around Nicolas Cage’s iconic portrayal.
In the animated Spider-Verse films, the noir Spider-Man was one of many spider-people pulled into Miles Morales’s world. He was a supporting character in a larger ensemble. The new live-action series gives that character his own world to inhabit and explore in much greater depth. The producers, including Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal (the same team behind the Spider-Verse films), developed this series as a standalone project that expands the Spider-Verse rather than directly spinning out of it .
Cage himself described his character as being “70 percent Humphrey Bogart, and 30 percent Bugs Bunny,” which gives a clear picture of the tone—part hardboiled detective, part unpredictable cartoon energy . This matches the quirky, memorable performance he delivered in the animated film while allowing for more room to develop the character over eight episodes.
A Different Kind of Hero With a Different Motto
One of the most striking elements revealed in the trailer is the character’s inverted motto. Instead of the famous “With great power comes great responsibility,” this version lives by the phrase “With no power comes no responsibility” . This change perfectly captures the noir tone of the series. This is not a bright, optimistic teenage hero learning to do the right thing. This is a beaten-down older man who has already lived through tragedy and now wants nothing to do with the hero life.
The series shows Ben Reilly as a former superhero who has retired and is just trying to get by as a private investigator. A personal tragedy forces him back into action, grappling with his past as New York’s one and only superhero . The 1930s setting places the character in a world of fedoras, trench coats, speakeasies, and organized crime, drawing heavily from classic film noir aesthetics .
The Supporting Cast Brings Classic Characters to the 1930s
The series introduces familiar Marvel characters reimagined for the Depression-era setting. Lamorne Morris plays Robbie Robertson, a freelance journalist who becomes Reilly’s companion . In mainstream Marvel comics, Robbie Robertson is a longtime supporting character at the Daily Bugle, so this version gives him a new origin in the 1930s.
Li Jun Li appears as Cat Hardy, a nightclub performer . Comic fans will recognize this as a version of Felicia Hardy, better known as the Black Cat, one of Spider-Man’s most famous allies and sometimes love interests . The character is described as a femme fatale inspired by golden-age screen icons .
The villains are equally grounded in this period setting. Brendan Gleeson plays Silvermane, a philosophical and paranoid New York mob boss . In the comics, Silvermane is a aging crimelord who often clashes with Spider-Man. Jack Huston portrays Flint Marko, also known as Sandman, who serves as Silvermane’s enforcer . This reimagining turns a superpowered villain into a “granite-tough” strongman fitting the gritty 1930s world.
Karen Rodriguez plays Janet, Reilly’s secretary and investigative partner, described as his “Girl Friday-type” who loves comic books . Abraham Popoola joins the cast as a World War I veteran, adding another layer of period authenticity .
The Creative Team Behind the Series
The involvement of the Spider-Verse creative team ensures the series maintains a connection to the beloved films while charting its own course. Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot serve as co-showrunners and executive producers, with Uziel known for writing 22 Jump Street and The Lost City, and Lightfoot known for showrunning Marvel’s The Punisher .
Harry Bradbeer, who won Emmys for directing Fleabag and also worked on Killing Eve, directed the first two episodes . This combination of talent suggests the series will balance the quirky character work that made Fleabag successful with the gritty action expected from a superhero show.
Also Read:
What This Means for the Future of the Spider-Verse
The release of Spider-Noir expands the Spider-Verse into live-action television for the first time. While it exists separately from the animated movie universe, it shares the same creative DNA and multiverse-spanning possibilities. The series gives Nicolas Cage his first leading television role after decades of film work, allowing him to fully develop a character he clearly enjoys playing .
For fans wondering if this version could ever cross paths with the animated Miles Morales or other spider-people, the multiverse always leaves that door open. But for now, the focus is on telling a complete, self-contained story set in 1930s New York. The producers have built a world where a weary detective must confront his past as a masked vigilante, dealing with mob bosses, femme fatales, and his own complicated history.
The decision to release the series in both color and black and white versions shows the creative team’s commitment to the noir aesthetic while also giving viewers choice in how they experience the story . This attention to detail suggests a show that respects its source material while trying something genuinely different from the usual superhero fare.
For more entertainment news and updates on upcoming series, keep visiting VvipTimes for the latest from the world of streaming and television.
