Spider-Noir Review: A Love Letter to Classic Noir and Marvel Mythology

This review pertains to all eight episodes of Spider-Noir.

Nicolas Cage returns to the world of superheroes and comic book adaptations with Spider-Noir, a new series coming to Prime Video. It’s a genre Cage is very familiar with, having portrayed Ghost Rider in two movies, very nearly playing Superman in a scrapped Tim Burton film, and voicing an alternate version of the web-slinging vigilante in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It’s that version of the character that Cage brings from the world of animation into the sleek, atmosphere-soaked world of the 1930s.

What is Spider-Noir about?

Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage, Con Air) is a private detective whose life is thrown into turmoil when the feared crime boss Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin) and a slew of newly superpowered villains force him into a dangerous new case. Now, Ben will be forced to face the demons of his past and once again take on the mantle of The Spider, a powerful, masked vigilante.

Spider-Noir review

Spider-Man has long been one of Marvel’s most iconic and beloved characters, and there’s been no shortage of adaptations bringing the stories and characters from the comics to life on screen. Sam Raimi’s trilogy was a perfect launching pad for the hero’s big-screen debut, using vibrant colors and the director’s usual style of camp to capture the vibrance of a comic. Andrew Garfield’s run was short-lived and flawed, but ultimately beloved. And Tom Holland’s version brought the web-slinger into the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe, allowing him to stand alongside The Avengers for the first time in live-action. But each attempt to capture the magic of these characters in a manner that strays from the traditional story arcs has floundered (Madame Web and Morbius, anybody?), until now.

Spider-Noir is the most stylish Spider-Man adaptation in years. With two versions to choose from (True Hue Full Color and Authentic Black and White), audiences can choose how immersed in the classic noir aesthetic they’d like to be. I watched both ways (about half in color and half in black and white). They’re both gorgeously executed and lend themselves to the story’s distinct tone and style. The story goes all in on the stylized noir, capturing the grit, grime, and cynicism of classic film noir. It brings in all the tropes: a down-on-his-luck private investigator, alcohol abuse, femme fatales, a case that runs deep with twists and turns, and a connection to our anti-hero that hits too close to home.

Cage’s version of the character stands out. This isn’t Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. As an older, more cynical version of the hero, we see the web-slinger at a stage in life we haven’t seen before, while still maintaining the core of what drives the character: a true desire to do good while struggling to balance the hurdles of his personal life with the difficulties of being a superhero. The most glaring deviation will be in his name. Cage portrays Ben Reilly, rather than Peter Parker. While this is likely due to the complications of licensing the character and his ongoing portrayal in the MCU, the name change isn’t a detriment. If anything, the change helps to establish this as a standalone story completely separate from the version of the character fans already know.

The series succeeds largely because of its dedication to capturing the instantly recognizable visual style of a classic noir and modernizing it with a slew of interesting characters, both new and pulled directly from the comics. It’s an homage to both the Stan Lee and Steve Ditko-created hero and the classic genre of cinema. Cage captures the exhaustion and desolation of the character in a surprisingly subdued performance. If you’d told me when I was younger that Nicolas Cage would be portraying a version of Spider-Man in his 60s, I wouldn’t have believed it, but it’s a role he was born to play.

Is Spider-Noir worth watching?

Spider-Noir is the rare Spider-Man spin-off adaptation that succeeds without ties to the MCU. A gorgeously realized noir thriller. It’s visually stunning, incredibly engaging, and delivers a wholly unique version of a decades-old character. Spider-Man Noir was first published in 2009, but it seemed unlikely we’d ever see a proper adaptation. Studio executives need to take note. These are the types of creative spin-offs and standalone stories that these beloved characters deserve.

Spider-Noir is streaming on Prime Video beginning May 27, 2026.