Marvel Confirms the 4 Ways Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Differs From Tom Holland’s Hero

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Later this year, Amazon Prime Video will debut the Spider-Noir series, featuring a fresh take on Spider-Man. This version, played by Nicolas Cage, is named Ben Reilly – a Spider-Man clone from the Marvel comics – and operates under the name The Spider. He’s quite different from the Spider-Man audiences are familiar with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The new series will debut on MGM+ on May 25th, with all eight episodes becoming available worldwide on Prime Video two days later, on May 27th. It will be shown in both black and white and color. Oren Uziel is the showrunner, and Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who worked on Into the Spider-Verse, are co-producing.

What Makes Spider-Noir’s The Spider Different from MCU Spider-Man?

They Have Different Names (Civilian and Superhero)

Tom Holland plays Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). His version of the character, Peter Parker, is based on the original Spider-Man from the Marvel comics. Like most versions of Spider-Man – including the classic Spider-Man Noir seen in the comics and the animated film Into the Spider-Verse – he’s known as Spider-Man when fighting crime.

Nicolas Cage’s character, Ben Reilly—known as The Spider—has a different name than the one used in the original story. This naming choice fits the show’s film noir style, which often features characters with simple titles—like “The Shadow,” a character Cage mentioned in an Esquire interview—as a nod to classic detective stories.

They Are Different Ages

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I’ve always loved seeing Peter Parker as a teenager, just like in the movies with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. But it’s really interesting that Nicolas Cage’s version of Ben Reilly will be a much older Spider-Man. It’s a fresh take on the character, and I’m excited to see how they portray that experience.

For many years in Marvel comics, Peter Parker hasn’t been a high school student. He’s usually depicted as a college student or young professional. However, the movies often focus on his high school years, and this has led many viewers to see that as the defining version of the character. Because of this, as Chris Miller explained, they needed to make Ben Reilly appear older and more world-weary to fit the tone of the Spider-Noir series.

They Have Different Supporting Casts

As a fan, it’s interesting to see how Spider-Noir and the main MCU Spider-Man stories have handled their supporting characters differently. The new series seems to be taking cues from the Marvel comics for its side characters, but not copying them exactly. I’m excited that Lamorne Morris will be playing Robbie Robertson – a seasoned journalist from the Daily Bugle who’s usually the voice of reason compared to J. Jonah Jameson – and he’ll be a friend to Ben Reilly. Plus, Li Jun Li is going to play Cat Hardy, who’s based on Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, one of Peter Parker’s complicated love interests from the comics. It’s a great way to bring familiar faces into the story with a fresh take!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) reimagined characters from the comics for the big screen. Jacob Batalon plays Ned Leeds, who is Peter Parker’s best friend, first appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Similarly, Zendaya portrays Mary Jane Watson, known as MJ, and she becomes Peter Parker’s main love interest. Both characters fulfill similar roles to their comic book counterparts.

They Have Different Costumes

Staying true to the style of the series, the Spider-Man in this version will wear a completely black suit, including a fedora and trench coat. This look is very similar to the Spider-Man Noir suit seen in the animated Spider-Verse films and the Spider-Man Noir comics.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has generally kept Spider-Man’s suit classic – red and blue – though they’ve shown a few different versions. Interestingly, the all-black “Night Monkey” suit from Spider-Man: Far From Home actually resembles the Spider-Noir costume more than the black suit most often seen in the comics, which is either directly connected to, or inspired by, the Venom symbiote, depending on the specific comic book storyline.

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2026-03-29 08:05