New illustrations of secondary characters recently leaked on social media have revealed our best look yet at the villains of Spider-Noir, the bad guys that Nicolas Cage’s superhero detective will face in the highly anticipated spin-off TV series on the Prime Video streaming platform. The illustrations, which adorn the passes for the upcoming CCXP to be held in Mexico City this April, show the gallery of villains from the live-action series Spider-Man Noir, produced by the creators of the animated Spider-Man saga: A New Universe, Phil Lord and Chris Miller: as you can see in the post at the bottom of the article, we have Sandman, Silvermane, Electro, Cat Hardy (aka Black Cat) and a mysterious character we couldn’t identify (perhaps an alternate version of Tombstone?).
Although Sandman and Electro have already appeared in several live-action Spider-Man films and many animated TV series, this is the first time that Silvermane and Black Cat will appear in a live-action adaptation: the mob boss will be played by Brendan Gleeson, while this new version of Felicia Hardy will be a singer in a seedy nightclub and will be played by Li Jun Li. Jack Huston and Joe Massingill will play Sandman and Electro.
Meanwhile, as you may know if you’ve already seen the Spider-Man Noir trailer, Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage will take center stage as Ben Reilly, aka The Spider, an alternate, older version of Spider-Man who lives in 1930s New York: he is a private detective in decline who, in his youth, defended the streets behind the mask of the superhero The Spider, a role he is forced to return to after a personal tragedy. Nicolas Cage previously played an animated version of Spider-Man Noir in the Spider-Verse films, a role he will reprise for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse in 2027. However, this version of the character we will see in the TV series will be original and will not be connected to the Spider-Verse films.
Spider-Noir, the Nicolas Cage series has the highest rating ever
Spider-Noir is preparing to bring a decidedly darker version of Spider-Man to the screen. The Prime Video project will focus on Ben Reilly, a hard-boiled private detective in an alternative universe with a noir flavor, a far cry from the brighter, more adolescent atmospheres we are used to. The departure from the usual Spider-Man-themed productions starts with the rating: the series starring Nicolas Cage has been given a TV-14 rating, a classification that indicates content that parents may find unsuitable for children under 14. It does not reach the level of a TV-MA rating as in the case of Daredevil: Born Again, but it is still the most mature tone ever assigned to a live-action project dedicated to Spider-Man.
In fact, movies about the web-slinger have always been distributed with a PG-13 rating, keeping them suitable for a wide, family audience. Spider-Noir will formally remain in similar territory, but everything points to a darker approach, with adult themes and an aesthetic reminiscent of thrillers and even horror. The first trailer for Spider-Noir has already given us a taste of what we can expect in this regard, showing us a tormented protagonist and hinting at a decidedly more violent and psychologically complex tone than the films about Peter Parker. It is a bold experiment, then, and one that we really hope will surprise everyone in a positive way.
The Spider-Man Noir TV series will debut on MGM Plus in the United States on May 25, before arriving on Prime Video globally on May 27.
