The Nicolas Cage-led and noir-inspired Marvel series “Spider-Noir” arrives on Amazon Prime Video in just under two weeks.
Cage plays Ben Reilly, a darker and older version of a web-slinging hero known simply as The Spider, rather than a variation of the more familiar Spider-Man lead Peter Parker.
This version of the hero is a retired vigilante-turned-private investigator living in Depression-era New York during Prohibition.
Co-showrunner Oren Uziel spoke with EW recently and says the series intentionally avoids using Peter Parker as its lead character because he and the team wanted something different for this old-school detective film meets superhero action tale:
“Peter Parker is so synonymous to me with a young character and a coming-of-age story. The Ben Reilly character allows it to immediately distinguish itself from a Peter Parker story… We’re really trying to make an old Bogart movie. It’s just that Bogart happens to be Spider-Man.”
He also clarifies that Peter Parker does not exist in this universe but adds: “Not yet, not in season 1, I don’t think” – leaving the door open for future appearances should this go beyond a single season.
Cage, in particular, was citing films like “The Big Sleep” and performances from the likes of Edward G. Robinson and Peter Lorre as inspiration for him.
“Spider-Noir” also stars Brendan Gleeson as crime boss Silvermane, Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson, and Li Jun Li as lounge singer Cat Hardy. It launches on Prime Video on May 27th.
