Image via Prime Video
Published Mar 6, 2026, 6:11 AM EST
Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features and reviews, and has interviewed the cast and crew of Dark Winds. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His first work of self-published fiction – The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain – became a #1 Best Seller in "Religious Fiction Short Stories" on Amazon in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.
Who isn't psyched about Prime Video's Spider-Noir, Nicolas Cage's upcoming Spider-Man series? The idea of Marvel's favorite wall-crawler and Nicolas Cage coming together as one is a thrilling combo. However, there's one thing that these upcoming 8-episodes of comic book-inspired goodness ought to ignore, one thing that other Spidey adaptations spend far too much time on that, frankly, has no real place in this adaptation: love interests.
Nicolas Cage's Prime Video Spider-Man Show Should Keep Romance Out of the Story
Sorry romance junkies, but not every Spider-Man story needs to be a romance, despite what just about every live-action or animated film would have you believe. Given that "noir" is literally in the Spider-Noir name, there's certainly a good chance that some femme fatales might be part of the story. But, just because there's a sinister character who may seduce Cage's Ben Reilly as he prowls around 1930s New York doesn't mean that we need a significant love interest like Mary Jane Watson/Gwen Stacey-like for him to fawn over. What's more interesting about this interpretation of the web-slinger — if what we know about him from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, where Cage first voiced the character, is any indication — is that there is plenty of dramatic material already to pull from without the need for romance. After all, the reason we're watching Spider-Noir is because we want to see Reilly investigate crimes and conspiracies in Depression-era NYC.
Since Cage is already playing an older interpretation of the character, the series should have no problem diving into more mature themes over the course of its first season, graduating from the youthful, overly romantic nature of the majority of Spider-Man movies out there. Part of the reason that the series is renaming the Spider from "Peter Parker" to "Ben Reilly" is to further separate what audiences associate with traditional depictions of Spider-Man, including Tom Holland's current outings, from what the Prime Video series aims to do — even if the characters are really the same at their core. There is so much more that Spider-Noir ought to focus on concerning worldbuilding, organized crime, and leaning into that cinematic Golden Age of Hollywood feel. Cage has already cited Humphrey Bogart — namely his performance in The Big Sleep — as one of his major creative inspirations. Although Bogart's Philip Marlowe has a love interest in the 1946 film, he didn't have to deal with all the superheroics that come with web-slinging and wall-crawling.
Nicolas Cage's Spider-Man Should Be a Bachelor in the Prime Video Series
If anyone can pull off a romance-less Spider-Man, it’s Nicolas Cage. As a single bachelor strolling across the New York skyline, there's so much more potential for this character than if he were fixated on landing a romantic partner. Giving him nothing to lose is a sure-fire way to make Reilly a completely different and all-around formidable take on the Spider-Man character, and without such deep personal ties, he may even be a bit more ruthless.
Perhaps the most interesting thing that this noir-style take on Marvel's biggest hero could explore is a Spider-Man who tragically lost the love of his life. Having no interest in romance after losing the woman he loved, maybe Reilly has moved beyond the desire for the time being, and aims to simply bring justice to those who — like his lover — received none. After all, not having an active love interest worked with the same Spider-Man Noir character in Into the Spider-Verse (which should hopefully be getting a sequel soon), and there's no reason that success can’t be replicated again here.
Whichever way the Cage-led superhero drama turns out, it's an unprecedented thing to give such a big-name star full reign on a completely different take on a popular comic book character. Although not the first time that Prime Video has partnered with one of the "Big Two" comic publishers — DC's Batman: Caped Crusader hit the streamer back in 2024 (and has since been renewed for a second season) — it is the most ambitious project yet, especially given the dual black-and-white and "True-Hue" color ways to watch the project. Whichever you prefer (though, come on, true noirs are black-and-white), Spider-Noir is going to be something to remember, even if Cage's Ben Reilly is a lonely, lonely man.
Spider-Noir is set to premiere on May 27, 2026, on Prime Video.
Spider-Noir
Release Date May 27, 2026
Network MGM+
Showrunner Oren Uziel, Steve Lightfoot
English (US) ·