The verdict: Spider-Noir is a hoot. It has some issues, especially in the last two episodes, but the positives easily outweigh the negatives. Cage is fantastic, the cast is strong, the villains work, and the 1930s setting gives the series its own identity. It’s one of the better Spider-Man shows we’ve gotten — and I’d definitely watch a Season 2. Recommended.
Nicolas Cage knocks this one completely out of the ballpark as Spider-Man Noir, and the supporting cast is just as good. Everyone seems to understand the assignment, and the series does a nice job building out its own corner of 1930s New York.
The show is an alternate take on Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Cage plays Ben Reilly, a reluctant hero and private investigator in 1930s New York who gets pulled back into the Spider-Man life.
And to clear up the most common question: yes, it’s based on Marvel’s Spider-Man Noir comic, but no, it’s not part of the MCU. This is a standalone, alternate-universe take with no connection to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, closer in spirit to the noir Spidey Cage voiced in Into the Spider-Verse than to anything in the main movies.
Where To Watch Spider-Noir
Spider-Noir is available on Prime Video and MGM+. The series can be watched in both black-and-white and color, with the option to switch from episode to episode.
The cast also includes Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson, Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane, Abraham Popoola as Lonnie Lincoln, Jack Huston as Flint Marko, Andrew Lewis Caldwell as Dirk Leydon, Lukas Haas as Winston, and Cary Christopher as Frankie.
Nicolas Cage Carries Spider-Noir
Cage nails the role. I don’t think the series would work nearly as well without him.
He brings the right mix of old-school detective, washed-up hero, oddball energy, and Spider-Man weirdness. Cage is at his best when the role lets him go off a bit. His movements as the “spider,” especially when he contorts his body and leans into the more unnatural side of the character, are some of the best parts of the show.
It never feels like Cage is just playing dress-up as Spider-Man. He makes Spider-Noir feel like his own character.
This isn’t the Ben Reilly comic fans know, either. Forget the Scarlet Spider clone storyline; here, Ben is a World War I veteran who was bitten and gained his powers during the war, then spent years as New York’s only masked vigilante before hanging it up. Cage plays him as an older, weathered man who’s already had his heroic chapter and lost plenty along the way, which is a big part of why this version works.
Lamorne Morris is also great as Robbie Robertson, who works well as Ben’s best friend and moral anchor. Li Jun Li plays Cat Hardy as the classic damsel in distress with a twist, and she fits the noir style perfectly.
Brendan Gleeson is another standout as Silvermane. I liked him a lot as the head Irish crime boss villain. Honestly, I enjoyed him more here than Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in Daredevil.
The Villains Are One Of The Show’s Biggest Strengths
The villains are strong across the board.
Abraham Popoola and Jack Huston play their parts as anti-villains really well. The show gives them enough edge without making them one-note bad guys.
Andrew Lewis Caldwell was also a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting his role to be as big as it was. His Dirk Leydon turns out to be the electric villain Megawatt, which pays off the show’s best color-pop effects — and once the series reveals the full scope of who he is, it works. Wow.
The series does a good job using Spider-Man characters without making everything feel like a checklist. It feels familiar, but not lazy.
Color Works Better Than Black-And-White
Spider-Noir is available in black-and-white and color, but I preferred watching it in color.
The black-and-white version fits the noir idea, but the color version makes the show pop more. The special effects look good, and the electric powers work better in color.
I also liked the tease that Ben could actually be Peter Parker. The show plays with that idea in a fun way without spelling everything out, and it gives the series another hook heading into a possible Season 2. The show never says it outright, but there’s a strong case that Cage’s Ben Reilly is really Peter Parker — here’s the evidence the series quietly drops.
Spoilers Ahead: Where Spider-Noir Stumbles
Heads up — from here on I’m getting into spoilers, including the finale. If you haven’t finished the series yet, skip to the bottom for the bottom line.
The Final Episodes Don’t Hit As Hard
Storywise, Spider-Noir plays out pretty well, but the build-up is better than the payoff.
The first six episodes are stronger than the last two. The final stretch feels like a different show at times, and the finale is underwhelming. It doesn’t ruin the series, but it does keep Spider-Noir from being great all the way through.
Silvermane’s death is probably the biggest example. He threatens to kill Cat with her own gun, puts it on the table, and then she grabs it and kills him with it. Who didn’t see that coming?
I get the idea. Silvermane doesn’t think Cat is a threat. Still, the scene is too obvious, and his death feels way too easy for a villain who had been built up so well.
The clothing switch between Ben and Robbie also makes no sense. It feels like one of those moments where the show needs something to happen, so it just happens.
The same goes for Ben’s webbing powers suddenly not working. I don’t remember the series setting that up earlier, so it feels like a convenient plot device when the story needs to create trouble for him.
Episode 7 also throws in a comic book panel-style montage near the end, and it doesn’t fit with the rest of the series. It feels out of place. According to IMDb, each director handled two episodes, and I’m not sure that was the best idea. The last two episodes feel too different from the first six.
Some Choices Feel Forced
One of the few things I didn’t like came around Episode 2, when the show forces in the racist material.
I get it. The show takes place in 1930s New York. Racism existed. Still, the way it is handled feels forced because the incidents come right after each other, and then the series doesn’t really push that angle much after.
It doesn’t sink the show, but it sticks out. It feels like the series wanted to make a point without really making it part of the story.
My biggest nitpick is the first Spider-Noir reveal. It should have been a much bigger scene. It also should have happened at night. For a show built around noir style, mystery, shadows, and a Spider-Man reveal, the moment needed more weight.
I also couldn’t always tell if Ben had super strength throughout the season. In the finale, it seemed like he did. Earlier in the series, I got the sense he may have been holding back so he didn’t give up his identity. If that is what the show was going for, it works.
Spider-Noir Is Worth Watching
Spider-Noir has some issues, especially in the last two episodes, but the positives easily outweigh the negatives.
Cage is fantastic. The cast is strong. The villains work. The 1930s setting gives the series its own identity. The show also manages to feel different from the usual Spider-Man material without losing what makes the character fun.
I would definitely watch a Season 2. Here’s what we know about a possible Spider-Noir Season 2.
Spider-Noir isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the better Spider-Man shows we’ve gotten. Cage makes the whole thing worth watching.
Rating: 8/10
