Courtesy of Prime Video
Key Points
Spider-Noir follows Ben Reilly, an aging private investigator in 1930s New York who's must don his superhero mask once more.
Nicolas Cage stars as the title character, with Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, and Brendan Gleeson rounding out the cast.
The series debuts in late May.
They say that "with great power comes great responsibility," but that doesn't exactly apply to this particular riff on Spider-Man.
Spider-Noiris a darker take on the Spidey mythos that takes inspiration from the vintage noir films of filmmakers like Fritz Lang and Otto Preminger. This riff on the character has appeared in several Marvel projects over the years, but gained fresh attention whenNicolas Cagevoiced the variant in 2018'sSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Now, Cage will play Spider-Noir, here known as the Spider, in a live-action series for Prime Video and MGM+, marking the Oscar-winning actor's first leading role on television.
Here's everything you need to know aboutSpider-Noir, from its release date to the multiple formats in which it'll be presented.
What isSpider-Noirabout?
Courtesy of Prime Video
Spider-Noir"tells the story of Ben Reilly, an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city's one and only superhero," per the official synopsis.
Unlike the usual Spider-Man Noir, which cloaks Peter Parker in shadows, the live-action series flips the script by putting Ben Reilly behind the mask. Also, his masked crimefighting persona is not called Spider-Man — he's just the Spider.
Fans should recognize Ben, who in the comics is a clone of Peter known as the Scarlet Spider. He was designed to be Peter's foe, but ends up becoming a close ally. He first swung into action inThe Amazing Spider-Man#149 back in 1975, and remains a popular character to this day.
Harry Bradbeer, a veteran of shows likeKilling EveandFleabag, is among the series' directors. To better capture the feel of the story's era (and influences), you can watch it in "Authentic Black and White" or "True-Hue Full Color."
Is there aSpider-Noirtrailer?
The official teaser trailer forSpider-Noirdropped on Thursday, Feb. 12, and it wastes no time folding fans into its shadowy vision of Depression-era New York City. Just like the show itself, you can watch the trailer in color or in black and white.
It introduces Cage's Ben Reilly, decked out in a fedora and trench coat, looking every bit like a hard-boiled investigator of the era. He opens up to Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li) a.k.a. Black Cat, hinting that his strange powers aren't exactly easy to live with.
"The ticks, thoughts, impulses, I manage to suppress them... most of the time," he admits.
When he finally unleashes those powers, it results in late-night bar brawls and a masked figure soaring across Manhattan's skyline under the cover of night.
Cage teeters between reckless and restrained, giving Reilly the off-kilter edge that makes the actor so indelible. By the time the tagline flashes across the screen — "With no power comes no responsibility" — it hitsperfectly.
Who's in theSpider-Noircast?
Courtesy of Aaron Epstein
In May 2024, MGM and Prime Video confirmed that Cage would take on the lead role. At the time, Sony Pictures Television Studios president Katherine Popesaid the teamwas "thrilled" to have him on board, noting that the actor brings "pathos, pain, and heart to this singular character."
Cagerecently spoke withEsquireabout his portrayal of Ben as "70 percent [Humphrey] Bogart, and 30 percent Bugs Bunny."
"I was basically Mel Blanc doing Bogart, with that sarcastic sense of humor. But it's 100 percent me."
ProducersChris Miller and Phil Lord revealedthat Cage's approach completely upended their expectations. "Nic brought all of this thinking to the character that really surprised us and was kind of a headslapper," Lord said. "His take on it was like, 'I'm a spider trying to cosplay as a human.' He's code-switching. Inside his body, he feels like an animal."
"That's why you cast Nicolas Cage," Miller added. "He's going to come at a character in a way that no one else would think of."
Courtesy of Aaron Epstein
The supporting cast is packed with personality.Lamorne Morris, who won an Emmy for his work on season 5 ofFargo(2023), plays Robbie Robertson, a freelance journalist and Reilly's optimistic pal. "Robbie's living in the '30s and the Depression, and he's going through it," showrunner Oren Uziel said, "but he walks into any room thinking he can talk himself through whatever problem finds him."
Jun Li, who appeared in Ryan Coogler'sSinners(2025), costars as Cat Hardy, a nightclub singer who pulls Ben into the city's criminal underworld. Karen Rodriguez (The Hunting Wives) plays Janet, Ben's secretary.
Jack Huston, who broke out playing Richard Harrow onBoardwalk Empire(2010–2013), takes on Flint Marko, a.k.a. Sandman, while Emmy winner (and Oscar nominee)Brendan Gleesonappears as Silvermane, a mob boss who's survived a string of assassination attempts.
"Silvermane is the big bad, but what's happening to Silvermane connects back to Ben's past and gets him spiraling deeper and deeper into his own origins," Uziel explained.
Guest players include Lukas Haas (Babylon), Cameron Britton (Mindhunter), Michael Kostroff (The Wire), Whitney Rice (Jury Duty), Amanda Schull (Suits), and Amy Aquino (Bosch), among others.
Is there aSpider-Noirrelease date?
Courtesy of Prime Video
Spider-Noirpremieres Monday, May 25, on MGM+ in the U.S. before swinging onto Prime Video with all eight episodes on May 27.
Each episode will be available to stream in either black and white or color.
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Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
