REVIEW: Spider-Noir – Season One [2026]

Rating: TV-14 | Episodes: 8 | Runtime: 45 minutes
Release Date: May 27th, 2026 (USA)
Studio: Marvel Studios / Sony Pictures Releasing / Amazon MGM Studios
Creator(s): Oren Uziel

I like ravioli.

Just when you thought the live-action Marvel universe was getting less confusing with Sony shuttering their ill-fated “Spider-Man without Spider-Man” series of antihero villain-centric films, both studios (Marvel and Sony) decide to enlist a third (Amazon MGM) to expand their Spider-Verse franchise via Prime instead of Disney+ or Netflix, respectively. It’s way too many moving parts to drill down into, so let’s just be happy “Spider-Noir” becomes its own isolated thing.

Is this the same Spider-Man Noir we meet in those animated gems? I honestly don’t know. Both are played by Nicolas Cage, so that’s something. But I do believe the cartoon version is Peter Parker (like the comics) whereas this new version is Ben Reilly (a name generally reserved for Scarlet Spider). Around halfway through the eight-episode run created by Oren Uziel, however, we learn “Ben” isn’t this version’s real name after all. We just don’t find out what it really is.

So, unless Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, or Jake Johnson make a cameo in season two, we can assume Ben Reilly Private Detective is on an island alone to grieve the loss of his fiancé Ruby (Amanda Schull). He blames himself for her death and, as a result, retires the “Spider” suit and his ability to love so as not to risk further heartache. To his secretary Janet Ruiz’s (Karen Rodriguez) chagrin, that decision leads to five years of professional and personal stagnation.

We therefore meet Ben at a pivotal crossroads in a Prohibition-era New York City that’s all but been taken over by gangster Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) now that “The Spider” disappeared. The has-been hero doesn’t care, though. He’s embraced his newfound nihilistic outlook by getting drunk and pushing Janet to the brink of quitting due to a complete absence of cashflow. That’s when Ben’s old life comes crashing back into focus via femme fatale Cat Hardy.

Li Jun Li’s lounge singer is initially a mark Ben is hired to catch in the act of infidelity by her husband. Then she’s a potential victim whose wellbeing pushes Ben to sling a web despite his abstinence. And, finally, she’s a mover pulling the strings of those around her, sexually manipulating men to underestimate her, and trying to save her own love story from an encroaching dead end. Her presence in Silvermane’s inner circle puts Ben on the fringes of superheroism again.

Uziel and company do a great job crafting a film noir mystery within the confines of this alternate universe. The language is hard boiled. The PI/femme fatale dynamic’s witty banter brings a smile to your face. And the filmmaking itself pays homage to the genre in myriad ways (the most obvious being a The Lady from Shanghai climax of mirrors). The series is also available in “Authentic Black and White” and “True-Hue Full Color” to add to the aesthetic … if willing.

Cage talks about this choice being a reason for doing the show. He wants new audiences to experience the black and white tint to hopefully use “Spider-Noir” as a gateway into the cinematic greats he loves using as inspiration for his roles. I watched a couple episodes in color and found them to have better overall visual clarity, but the affectations and cinematography do feel a lot more fitting in the monochrome. The special effects look great in both.

Speaking of Cage’s inspirations (most notably German Expressionism), he’s having a blast here. The Dashiell Hammett by way of Humphrey Bogart language pattern is obvious from the beginning, but the physicality shines in the back half once we learn more about the origins of Ben’s powers. Between the ticks, spider-poses, and drunken movements when depression sets in, it’s impossible not to enjoy the over-the-top comedy within this otherwise severe world.

Because Silvermane is all business (often quizzically asking the smart mouths surrounding him if he’s missed a joke before threatening to kill them). Cat is too underneath the flirtations and necessity for self-preservation. The same can be said for Silvermane’s right-hand man Winston (Lukas Haas), their muscle Flint “Sandman” Marko (Jack Huston), and conflicted outsider Lonnie “Tombstone” Lincoln (Abraham Popoola). It’s all life, death, and money.

Dirk “Megawatt” Leydon (Andrew Lewis Caldwell) eventually lightens things up with wannabe actor grandiosity, but his psychopathy ensures our laughs are at him rather than with. We need that contrast, though, considering both Flint and Lonnie haven’t yet lost their souls. But everyone can’t be dramatically complex. Some of the villains need that “love to hate them” air to keep us entertained. Dirk is a nice foil to Ben’s sarcastically dry wit as another touchstone of irreverence.

What begins as a search for a mole in Silvermane’s organization ultimately leads to the discovery of “Sandman”, “Tombstone”, and “Megawatt’s” powers—abilities Ben had a monopoly on until now. That commences the mystery into finding how they got those powers (cue WWI flashbacks), how they can be manipulated for evil, and whether Ben’s condition is related to turn him into a potential lab rat for a cure. He’d love to be rid of the responsibility heroism demands.

Add reporter Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris) to the mix as a long-time ally of Ben’s and we even get a welcome story arc about journalistic integrity that’s delivered in earnest rather than the broad satire of J. Jonah Jameson’s usual cutthroat tabloid antics. Where’s the line between a good story and one that sells? How does the way in which you report on something turn a human angle into exploitation? It speaks to a major through line of this series: trust.

Well, in that vein, I’d say you can trust Uziel and crew to keep you entertained on both a contemporary and noir level. They get the tone perfectly and let the chaos of superpowers fit authentically into the time period. It’s definitely more about the clandestine discoveries than action-packed brawls, but there are enough of the latter to satisfy waning attention spans. And I love that the characters are allowed to be flawed and problematic (save Janet’s pure heart).

It’s also just fun to have an aging, ornery Spider-Man drinking himself to death while feigning indifference to the darkness consuming his city. Janet and Robbie know how to push his buttons, clues to his past reignite his curiosity, and maybe Cat can even thaw his cold heart (before ripping it out again like so many other iterations of this character archetype). Think of it as a re-origin story of sorts. A satisfying kick in the pants to set up future cases within this singular world.