‘Spider-Noir’ Live-Action Series Starring Nicolas Cage Set for 2026 Release
The decades-old legacy of noir meets the multiverse in “Spider-Noir” — a live-action adaptation announced today, starring Nicolas Cage. The series is slated for a 2026 arrival on Prime Video and U.S. broadcaster MGM+.
A Gritty Return to Noir
According to official details shared by the producers, “Spider-Noir” will follow an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York — a former costumed hero forced to reckon with his past and the ghosts of the city. The show promises a stylized tonal blend: it will be released in both black-and-white and color.
The noir-inspired aesthetic and era of the Great Depression signal that this adaptation is less about glitzy heroics and more about shadows, moral ambiguity, and the weight of history — a departure from most superhero fare.
Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir
Nicolas Cage, who previously voiced the noir-era Spider-Man in the animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, will step into the live-action version of the character for the first time. In this series, he plays Ben Reilly — a reinterpretation of the classic Spider-Man Noir identity — giving new layers beyond his masked vigilante days: “an aging and down-on-his-luck private investigator” grappling with the weight of his past.
The show’s production roster reflects serious ambition. Co-showrunners Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, alongside acclaimed producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal, have designed a gritty, character-driven approach that sits at the intersection of pulp detective stories and superhero mythos.
What to Expect: Tone, Structure, and Style
The series will consist of eight episodes, debuting on MGM+ in the U.S. before a global launch on Prime Video the next day. According to Collider, “the series will embrace its gritty 1930s New York setting as it follows a grizzled, down-on-his-luck private investigator grappling with his current career and past life as the city’s only superhero.”
Visually, the dual black-and-white and color release format is particularly noteworthy. It gives the creators and, eventually, the audience the option to experience the series either as a vintage noir film or a modern, cinematic drama. As the producers themselves put it in a Newsweek article, “Spider-Noir is coming to Amazon Prime in 2026. Live-action, in black & white, set in the 1930s, and Nicolas Cage is a delight, as is the rest of the cast.”
Legacy, Expectations and What Could Go Wrong
For fans of the comics and animated incarnations, “Spider-Noir” presents an opportunity to explore a darker, more introspective side of the Spider-Man mythos. It’s a risky move — noir doesn’t always mesh with superhero-style expectations — but potentially one of the richest reinterpretations of the character.
That said, balancing superhero elements with a gritty, detective-drama tone is tricky. The success of “Spider-Noir” will depend heavily on whether it can deliver emotional depth, atmosphere, and complexity — rather than leaning too much on genre tropes or fan service.
If done right, though, Nicolas Cage — with his history of embracing offbeat and intense roles — could pull off a version of “Spider-Man” unlike any we’ve seen before: haunted, human, and fighting shadows instead of skyscrapers.
