Spider-Man’s New Name Change Has A Perfect Movie Explanation

Okay, so I’ve been thinking about Spider-Man’s latest name tweak, and honestly, it makes total sense when you consider where things are going in the MCU. I mean, Spider-Man has always been a big deal in superhero movies – people just love the character! But it’s more than that, right? His stories translate so well to the big screen, and his whole world just works visually. It’s no surprise he’s been a consistent hit.

The idea of multiple versions of Spider-Man existing across different universes has recently become popular and successful, as seen in movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Spider-Verse films. One recent story even changed Spider-Man’s name, but this change makes sense when you consider the full context.

Spider-Noir Going By “The Spider” Helps Keep The Live-Action Variant Different To The Spider-Verse Rendition

Image via Sony

Showrunner Oren Uziel and producers Chris Lord and Phil Miller recently spoke with Esquire about their new Spider-Noir series. They revealed the show would differ from typical Spider-Man stories by featuring Ben Reilly as the hero, rather than Peter Parker, and he’ll be known as The Spider instead of Spider-Man.

Although the choices seem unexpected, they actually fit with the project’s goal of doing something different from most other Spider-Man stories, both in the comics and on screen.

Nicolas Cage’s popular portrayal of Spider-Man Noir in the animated Spider-Verse films (Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse, and the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse) makes it clear how the character could be adapted differently for live-action, emphasizing the distinctions between the two versions.

While Ben Reilly is typically known as the Scarlet Spider, giving Spider-Noir a new civilian identity also makes sense, emphasizing how unique this version of Spider-Man is. The change to Spider-Man Noir’s name will reportedly be explained within the story itself, and it encourages viewers to see this series as more than just another alternate Spider-Man tale.

Why The Live-Action Noir Version Of Spider-Man Has To Be Different To The Animated Spider-Verse Version

Currently, linking the Spider-Noir and Spider-Verse versions of the character could have caused problems for the overall franchise’s storyline.

Spider-Man Noir’s story is much grimmer than most of the Spider-Verse movies. A prime example is the depiction of Uncle Ben’s death – he’s eaten by the Vulture, a scene far too dark for the typically lighthearted and family-friendly animated series.

Since the Spider-Noir series is embracing a darker tone, it makes sense that this version of Spider-Man is being presented as distinct. Otherwise, it could be confusing for viewers to switch from the show’s gritty style to the typically lighter tone of the Spider-Verse movies, especially with Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse coming out soon.

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2026-02-14 16:58