If you had said a decade ago that a live-action Spider-Man series was in the works with Nicolas Cage as it’s leading man, just about everyone would’ve told you that you were not thinking clearly. But now, after the success of the Spider-Verse franchise and the forever growing interest in Marvel’s greatest webslinger, Spider-Noir is on its way. Of course, Cage’s Spidey isn’t the typical interpretation. Aside from the 20th-century noir aesthetic, his Spider-Man, referred to as The Spider or Spider-Noir, isn’t even Peter Parker this time around — it’s actually a character named Ben Reilly, who isn’t so far off Spidey’s beaten path.
Nicolas Cage Is Playing Ben Reilly in ‘Spider-Noir,’ Not Peter Parker
For a quick history lesson, Spider-Man Noir first appeared in 2009 in Spider-Man: Noir, a book reinterpreting the Spidey mythology into a Depression-era tale full of intrigue and mystery. The alternate universe Peter Parker counterpart was perfect, of course, for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, where Cage voiced the character in an animated capacity (Milo Ventimiglia had done so previously in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series). Spider-Noir has been so popular with fans that he hasn’t just made his way into animation, he’s now expanding into live-action as well (the first alternate universe Spidey to do so).
Only the Prime Video drama has changed his name from Peter Parker to Ben Reilly. Why? It’s probably something to do with Sony’s live-action rights to the character, hoping to avoid any confusion with the Tom Holland-led franchise that’s continuing this year with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But whatever the reason, Ben Reilly isn’t so different from Peter Parker. As any die-hard Marvel Comics fan already knows, he’s actually his clone.
Who Is Ben Reilly in Marvel Comics?
For the uninitiated, Ben Reilly was first introduced as a simple Spider-Man clone way back in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 in 1975. After the Jackal had cloned the wall-crawler, the two Spider-Men fought the villain and one seemingly died in the aftermath, leading the Spidey we’re left with to wonder if he was the real-deal or the clone all along. But that wasn’t the end for the clone. Recognizing that he was the faux Spidey, he renamed himself “Ben Reilly” in honor of Peter’s Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Reilly being May’s maiden surname. For decades, this character was lost until he returned again in the 1990s during the famed “The Clone Saga,” which toyed with the idea that Reilly might actually be the original. Although Reilly primarily went by the “Scarlet Spider” moniker while Peter was still Spider-Man, he eventually took over the main superhero identity — and issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man, The Sensational Spider-Man, etc. — for a time while Peter and Mary Jane Watson-Parker (as the two were married within Marvel continuity at the time) pursued a normal life.
The 20 Best Spider-Man Quotes, Ranked
A hero doesn’t always inspire through their actions.
Eventually, Ben was killed in battle with the Green Goblin in Spider-Man #75 in 1996, though fans had grown attached to the character (despite many hating “The Clone Saga” as a whole) and hoped to see him return for decades. While he eventually did, it was now as a villain, claiming the Jackal identity as his own. This, of course, didn’t last, and Ben eventually returned to his Scarlet Spider identity and became a hero once more — despite having died nearly 30 times and almost losing his mind in the process. So, the fact that Spider-Noir is taking a stab at this tortured version of Spider-Man (wrapped up in the Spider-Man Noir interpretation that’s already a bit tortured as is) is quite fascinating, though certainly an exciting departure for fans who hope to see other interpretations of the wall-crawler on the screen.
Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Shifts the Marvel Franchise Away From Peter Parker
Although the original Spider-Man Noir (and the animated version Cage previously voiced) was a new interpretation of Peter Parker, Spider-Noir takes this whole thing a step further by using it as a means to explore Ben Reilly. By paring Reilly’s unique comic book history with the tragic Depression-era excitement of Spider-Man Noir, Prime Video has the chance to make something that truly stands out by comparison to other Spidey entries. As the fourth live-action television series to feature the wall-crawler (after Spidey Super Stories, The Amazing Spider-Man, and the Japanese Spider-Man) and the second to follow a Spider-Man not explicitly named Peter Parker, Spider-Noir looks like it’s pulling out all the stops to make this Marvel television series stand out.
How the live-action series will reinvent some of Spider-Man’s supporting cast members and rogues gallery remains to be seen, but with Cage at the forefront of this The Big Sleep-inspired detective drama, what could go wrong? If Into the Spider-Verse proved anything years ago, it’s that there are so many Spider-Man stories out there to be told beyond the typical blockbuster fare. Spider-Noir seems to be playing into just that, with a new interpretation of the wall-crawler that will keep audiences locked and loaded and ready for more. With plenty of Spider-Man content slated for 2026, we simply cannot wait.
Spider-Noir is set to air on May 27, 2026, on Prime Video.
