Nicolas Cage Finally Does TV — The Real Reason He Picked Spider-Noir
Nicolas Cage is finally jumping to the small screen, headlining Spider-Noir after big-screen turns as Ghost Rider and Superman — and he says he waited until a shadow-soaked, one-of-a-kind role made TV irresistible.
This one has Nicolas Cage diving headfirst into superhero TV, and honestly, it sounds like something only Cage could pull off. The long-running joke about him always being one wild script away from a comic-book adventure? That joke is reality now, as Cage is officially leading the new Spider-Noir series.
Nicolas Cage Picks His Spot—Finally
Cage has actually played in the comic-book sandbox before—they gave him Ghost Rider and Superman (briefly, but that’s a separate DC multiverse headache). But TV? He’s held out—until now. So what made him say yes this time?
According to Cage, he waited for something 'very unique, something extremely special.' We’re talking black-and-white visuals, a 1930s setting, and a story where he gets to channel tough-guy legends like Bogart, Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson—but mashed up with Stan Lee’s Spider-Man. He called it a 'collision that would create something brand new, something I hadn’t seen before.'
(For anyone thinking he’d just phone this in like another generic superhero gig, his words are pretty clear: 'I didn’t want to do anything homogenized. I wanted to do something that has some spark and some pop, and some danger to it. Some risk.')
Wait, Which Spider-Noir Is This?
Here’s where it gets a little wonky, so stick with me: If you remember Cage voicing Spider-Noir in 2018’s 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (and its sequel), that version was a moody, alternate-universe Peter Parker. The new show’s main character, though, is not Peter Parker—it’s actually Ben Reilly. So same style, same Noir vibes, but totally different guy beneath the mask. Comics fans know Ben Reilly as a Spidey clone, but throwing him into a noir universe? That’s new.
Who’s Making This Happen (and Where to Watch)
- Showrunners/Creators: Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot
- Director: Harry Bradbeer (known for 'Fleabag', so expect some sharp choices)
- Producers: Cage himself, plus Aditya Sood, Dan Shear, and Pavlina Hatoupis
- Spider-Verse alums: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal (so you can bet there will be at least one wink for fans of the animated movies)
The show lands on MGM+ (yeah, that’s still a thing) starting May 25, 2026, and then goes worldwide on Prime Video just two days later. There’s something for both sides of the fence: You can watch it in old-school black-and-white or in color if you’re not into vintage aesthetics.
Don’t Forget the Movies
Meanwhile, the Spider-Verse animated trilogy is set to wrap up with 'Beyond the Spider-Verse'—that’s out June 18, 2027. Cage’s Spider-Noir character showed up in the first two films, so who knows, maybe we’ll get a cross-dimensional nod or two.
Bottom line: If you ever wanted to see Nicolas Cage chewing scenery as a black-and-white, Depression-era Spider-Man, channeling Old Hollywood, and sporting a trench coat, this is your chance. This sounds like one of those projects that either self-destructs or becomes the strangest cult hit on streaming.