Nicolas Cage's Spider-Noir Won't Actually Be Called Spider-Man

Sony Pictures Releasing

The Nicholas Cage-starring live-action "Spider-Man Noir" series has been in development since 2023, and we finally have some interesting details about the show's title. According to Esquire, its creatives have removed all mention of "Spider-Man," instead choosing to call it "Spider-Noir." At this point, you might be asking yourself: Why?

Well, "Spider-Noir" is set in the 1930s — a time when pulp heroes like The Shadow and The Spider were all the rage. The series is also heavily influenced by some of the great film noir movies of yesteryear, which can be broadly characterized as stories about flawed people navigating a dark and complex world. Indeed, Cage's character Ben Reilly, aka The Spider, is a grizzled detective with a cynical heart — the polar opposite of Peter Parker and his youthful optimism. So, the title change speaks to the show's efforts to differentiate itself from other Marvel Comics-inspired projects. As executive producer Christopher Miller put it:

"This character's very different from the Peter Parker from the movies. He's older and jaded, and not afraid to punch a guy in the face drunkenly."

This explanation for the title change makes sense, and "Spider-Noir" is shaping up to be an exciting series. Who doesn't want to see Cage punch people in the face, right? That said, could the show also usher in the comeback of a superhero subgenre that's been dormant for far too long?

Sony Pictures Releasing

Pulp heroes are the original superheroes. Much has been written about early "Batman" stories plagiarizing "The Shadow," whose tales of justice served as prototypes for the caped crusader adventures later popularized by Marvel and DC Comics. Thus, with superhero movies and TV shows dominating pop culture these days, it's exciting to see a project that wants to honor the genre's roots while embracing the sensibilities of classic noir.

Of course, pulpier superheroes haven't always led to hit movie and TV adaptations in the past. Following the success of Tim Burton's "Batman," Hollywood produced a bunch of pulp adaptations like "Dick Tracy, "The Shadow," "The Mask of Zorro," and "The Phantom" with mixed results. Then, in 2008, Frank Miller brought "The Spirit" — whose original pulps influenced "Spider-Noir" — to the big screen, but the less said about that one, the better.

So, yeah, pulp adaptations don't exactly have a history of lighting the world on fire, but "Spider-Noir" has the advantage of being associated with the "Spider-Man" franchise. As such, it should be pretty easy to market. But again, will it lead to Hollywood giving more pulp properties a chance — like the long-gestating "Doc Savage" movie? Hopefully, it will, but don't bank on it.

"Spider-Noir" will air in Spring 2026 on MGM+ and stream on Prime Video.