For the first time in a very long time, there’s a live-action Spider-Man show on television. Starring Nicolas Cage, Spider-Noir is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Amazon decide to drop the entire season at once, show subscribers can now binge the entire thing in one sitting if they so please. The first season consists of eight episodes.
Cage isn’t technically playing the same character, but the show is loosely inspired by the character that the actor voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Very different from the typical Spider-Man tale, this is a detective story set in the 1930s. It’s also available in black and white, which is more accurate to the period, as well as color. It’s up the viewer to decide how they’d like to watch it.
Here is the synopsis for Spider-Noir.
“Spider-Noir is a live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir. Spider-Noir tells the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.”
So far, the show has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Spider-Noir season 1 has a 91% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also carries a fantastic 92% audience rating. If people tune in, a second season seems like a safe bet at this point.
Cage has a long history with superhero projects. He nearly played Superman for Tim Burton in the ‘90s. However, that project fell apart late in the development process. Cage also played Ghost Rider in Marvel’s live-action 2007 movie as well as its sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Now, he’s putting his stamp on one of the most popular heroes in the comic book canon.
The actor is also expected to reprise his role in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which hits theaters next summer. The third entry in the franchise is expected to conclude the Miles Morales saga. However, Sony Pictures does have some spin-offs in the pipeline. Maybe Cage will get an animated movie as well?
Lamorne Morris (Fargo, New Girl), Li Jun Li (Sinners, Babylon), Abraham Popoola (Atlas, Slow Horses), Karen Rodriguez (The Hunting Wives, Acapulco), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, Day of The Fight) and Brendan Gleeson (Paddington 2, Edge of Tomorrow) round out the main cast. Oren Uziel (The Lost City, 22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel’s The Punisher, Shantaram) serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the producers behind the Spider-Verse movies, are also on board as executive producers.
Spider-Noir is streaming now on Prime Video.
What do you think? Are you planning on watching the show? Do you hope it gets a second season? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
