Nicolas Cage broke his golden rule for this new TV show – he was right to

Nicolas Cage isn’t like other big-name actors and A-Listers. 

Oh, sure, the 62-year-old has a list of film credits to his name longer than unrolled toilet paper, and he’s worked with the crème de la crème of Hollywood.

But Cage is also, to be frank, a deeply weird man, and that comes across in his bold performances and the eclectic mix of movies he makes. 

Who else could go from making the critically acclaimed psychedelic horror Mandy to starring in direct-to-streaming schlock with just 4% on Rotten Tomatoes (Google ‘211 movie’ if you don’t believe me).

Also, unlike other stars, Cage has stayed away from the lure of the small screen even as his contemporaries dip their toes into the warm waters of prestige television.  

In fact, during his four-decade-long career, the star has never appeared in a TV series – until now. 

Yes, the Leaving Las Vegas star has finally broken his golden rule to play Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir, a new Amazon Prime show.

And you know what? If Cage had to break a rule he lived by for 40 or so years, then Spider-Noir was the right show to do it for.

Nominally a Spider-Verse spin-off, the show follows Reilly, a private investigator who once protected the city as the masked vigilante: The Spider.

When tragedy turned Reilly’s life upside down, however, he hung up his mask and retired from the hero game. 

Still, when a client walks through his door with a baffling and bizarre new case, the call to swing back into action might be too loud for Reilly to ignore. 

Alright then, let’s do this. 

Spider-Noir is an odd show but a good one, possibly even a great one. 

I think one of its greatest strengths is that, like all good superhero adaptations, it’s completely unashamed of its comic roots. 

As such, it’s a rather dazzling and bonkers blend of action, science fiction, and even body horror.

As a comic reader myself, I have no doubt it will delight those who love nothing more than leafing through the pages of the latest Marvel on a Wednesday afternoon. 

Yet, Spider-Noir isn’t simply an overblown tale to astonish – it’s a journey into mystery (Well done to the three of you who got that). 

You see, like the best superhero adaptations – I’m thinking of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Dark Knight, or Guardians of the Galaxy – Spider-Noir knows how to blend genres. 

The series, then, goes out of its way to blend the best the cape and cowl crowd have to offer with all the trappings of a classic Noir movie.

Spider-Noir certainly looks the part, thanks to the moody cinematography of Darran Tiernan and the production design of Warren Alan Young.

It’s dark, it’s cynical, it’s hard-boiled, and, of course, it’s in black and white (although a colour version is also available if you prefer). 

Yet, beyond those rather superficial bells and whistles, the show really does feel like it was conceived as a Noir first and foremost, and then Cage just so happened to turn up dressed as Spider-Man. 

As such, the mystery element is really well conceived and compelling, even if there are superheroes and supervillains putting up their dukes every 10 minutes or so.

I think part of what sells the mystery and the bizarreness of the series, though, is the cast. 

They’re all brilliant, but if you put a gat to my head and asked me who was the best, I couldn’t answer, although I‘d probably cry out Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson and Karen Rodriguez as Janet, both of whom were enchanting.

Let’s be honest, though, the real star of the show is Cage, who brings his usual Western Kabuki style acting  (aka deranged and energetic ) to the show. 

The result really shouldn’t work; it’s way too over the top and cliche, almost like a parody at times, but somehow through sheer charisma, Cage sells it. 

It’s not perfect, of course.

I think, as compelling as the mystery is, the show does take a few episodes to get into gear, and whoever decided to put a spoiler-filled ‘this season’ trailer at the end of the first episode should give their head a wobble.

Still, in a world of shows that seem procedurally generated by an algorithm written by the dullest person working at a studio, I was rather charmed by Spider-Noir in all its majestic monotone magnificence. 

Spider-Noir will premiere on 27th May 2026 exclusively on Prime Video in the UK.

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