You know Spider-Man? Of course you do. He’s Peter Parker, the young man in the bright red-and-blue suit, swinging through New York City and making jokes. Most of us have grown up with him thanks to seeing him in various movies, cartoons, and video games for decades.
This is not that Spider-Man.
Spider-Noir is a brand-new live-action series produced by Sony Pictures Television exclusively for MGM+ and Prime Video. It’s set to premiere on May 25, 2026 on cable network MGM+ in the United States, with all eight episodes dropping at once on Prime Video on May 27, 2026 in more than 240 countries.
The show follows an alternate version of Spider-Man operating in 1930s New York City as a private investigator and superhero. Carrying a TV-14 rating, the series is the most mature Spider-Man project yet.
The show is loosely based on a Marvel Comics 2008 miniseries Spider-Man Noir, co-created by writer David Hine and editor Fabrice Sapolsky. Fabrice has mentioned that Amazon and Sony made so many changes to the series that it has very little in common with his original work. “They created something that is not what I created,” he has said. “That does not even have the same name.” The spirit is there, but this is an entirely new creation.
What makes the show stand out is that you can choose how to watch it. The entire series can be viewed in color or black-and-white when it’s available on Prime Video. Authentic Black & White makes Spider-Noir look like a classic black-and-white film, while True-Hue Full Color uses color grading to create a vibrant, vintage look.
So, Who Is This Spider-Man?
This Spider-Man is named Ben Reilly. Normally, Ben is a clone of Peter Parker who later went on to become the Scarlet Spider.
However, the Ben Reilly we see in Spider-Noir is an original character based on the Spider-Man Noir variant (who was actually Peter Parker) from the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Matter of fact, Nicholas Cage actually voiced that iconic character from Into the Spider-Verse, so technically he’s reprising the role in a sense for the live-action series. The showrunner for Spider-Noir has said the series is not a continuation of those animated films. You don’t need to watch Into the Spider-Verse to understand Spider-Noir. It’s a separate universe that has nothing to do with the animated Spider-Verse or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The show’s producers felt that Peter was too boyish and optimistic for the dark and grimy world they were creating. Using Ben Reilly gave them the creative freedom of exploring the mind of a seasoned, disillusioned hard-boiled detective without dealing with restrictions that comes with Peter Parker’s image.
In Spider-Noir, Ben used to be the city’s only superhero, known as “The Spider”. But years before the show began, something terrible happened: he lost someone he loved.
So he quit. Ben became a private investigator, taking small cases during the Great Depression. But when Silvermane’s rise to power threatens the city, Ben is forced to put the mask back on.
One line Ben says in one of the trailers is “With no power, comes no responsibility.”
It’s a dark twist on the famous Spider-Man line, “with great power comes great responsibility”. The original mantra reflects the strict standards Peter Parker lives by as a hero. Ben could care less.
Cage said he approached Ben Reilly as “70% Humphrey Bogart, 30% Bugs Bunny.” Humphrey Bogart was one of the most famous Hollywood actors of the 1940s, known for playing tough, world-weary detectives. Bugs Bunny is chaotic and unpredictable. That combination gives you an idea of what to expect from this character. He also described his performance as “a spider trying to cosplay as a human.” Ben has organic webbing along with enhanced reflexes, speed, agility and strength, but he’s spent years pretending to be ordinary. When he finally allows himself to break loose again, expect to see a more ruthless side to slip out.
A Gritty World Brought to Life
Classic cars drive down smokey streets with Art Deco architecture as a backdrop. The men are decked out in long trench coats, sharp suits with the occasional fedora while some of the female characters are rocking sculptured wavy hair or fitted dresses or knitted blouses. Spider-Noir is a dark and hyper-stylized love letter to the “film noir” style from the 1940s and 1950s, with some nods to the hard-boiled detective genre that was popular in the 1930s.
The Villains
Every good story needs a few bad guys to fight against. In Spider-Noir, the main villain is a mob boss named Silvermane, played by Brendan Gleeson. Silvermane hires people with supernatural powers to work for him, which is a big reason Ben comes out of retirement.
The full villain lineup includes:
- Sandman / Flint Marko (Jack Huston): a classic Spider-Man villain, that’s been reimagined to fit in the show’s 1930s setting
- Tombstone / Lonnie Lincoln (Abraham Popoola): an intimidating crime lord with a fearsome reputation
- Megawatt / Dirk Leydon (Andrew Lewis Caldwell): an electric-powered villain
- Jimmy Addison (Jack Mikesell): a pyrokinetic villain, meaning he has power over fire
The Rest of the Cast
The show also has a strong supporting cast around Cage.
Lamorne Morris plays Robbie Robertson, a hard-hitting journalist. He’s one of the few people in the city still trying to tell the truth.
Li Jun Li plays Cat Hardy, a nightclub singer who also happens to be a master criminal. She is this world’s version of Black Cat, a character from the Spider-Man comics who walks the line between hero and villain. She appears to play a crucial role in the story, setting things in motion by hiring Ben to investigate the disappearance of her friend.
Karen Rodriguez plays Janet, Ben Reilly’s assistant.
When and Where Can I Watch Spider-Noir Again?
Spider-Noir will make its official debut on MGM+’s premium linear cable network on Monday May 25, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. ET/ 11:30 a.m. PT. All eight episodes will air back-to-back on that same day as a special presentation for Memorial Day.
- Episode 1, Step Into My Office: May 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET/ 11:30 a.m. PT.
- Episode 2, Tread Lightly: May 25 at 3:15 p.m. ET/ 12:15 p.m. PT.
- Episode 3, Double Cross: May 25 at 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT.
- Episode 4, A Mistake I’ll Never Make Again: May 25 at 4:45 p.m. ET/ 1:45 p.m. PT.
- Episode 5, Betrayal: May 25 at 5:35 p.m. ET/ 2:35 p.m. PT.
- Episode 6, Nightmare on a Gurney: May 25 at 6:25 p.m. ET/3:25 p.m. PT.
- Episode 7, Nobody’s Hero: May 25 at 7:05 p.m. ET/ 4:05 p.m. PT.
- Episode 8, The Man in the Mask: May 25 at 7:50 p.m. ET/ 4:50 p.m. PT.
Despite airing on their network first, Spider-Noir will not be available to stream on MGM+’s streaming service.
Instead, the series will be available to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video two days later on Wednesday May 27, 2026 at 3:00 a.m ET/12:00 a.m. PT.
