After lending his voice to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Nicolas Cage is returning as the beloved black-and-white, noir-style hero in the upcoming Spider-Noir. Continuing Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, it appears that Cage’s iteration will be a new variant with a twist and a newly released poster has confirmed exactly which Spider-Man he will be.
So, what kind of Spider-Man will Cage portray? Read on to find out.
What Variant of Spider-Man Nicolas Cage Will Play in Spider-Noir?
Cage’s Spider-Man will be a stark departure from the quippy, colorful Peter Parker fans are familiar with.
A new reveal at Brazil’s CCXP (shared by the entertainment page Omelete on Instagram) featured a poster introducing B. Reilly, the private investigator Cage will portray in Spider-Noir.
In Marvel Comics, this hero is known as a Peter Parker clone and is one of the most iconic Spider-Man variants.
However, while the comic version is also a P.I., there’s one major difference between Cage’s Spider-Man and his comic counterpart: their identities.
In the comics, Spider-Man Noir is another version of Peter Parker, but the upcoming Prime Video series reimagines him as Ben Reilly.
This could be Sony’s way of distinguishing its various live-action Spider-Men, from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to the MCU’s Tom Holland. It also explains why the series drops the “Man” from its title, opting instead for simply Spider-Noir.
Who is Ben Reilly in the Spider-Man Universe?
As mentioned earlier, Ben Reilly is a clone of Peter Parker in Marvel Comics. He was created by the villain Professor Miles Warren, also known as the Jackal, to fight Peter Parker but eventually became his ally. Peter even came to regard him as a “brother.”
Ben first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man comics in the 1970s, but he became a central figure during the 1990s Clone Saga storyline.
And because he’s Peter’s duplicate, he possesses the same abilities as Spider-Man: superhuman strength, speed, and agility; Spider-Sense; enhanced healing; genius-level scientific aptitude; and, of course, the ability to web-sling.
Some stories also show him experimenting with modified webbing technology, making him slightly more gadget-oriented than Peter.
So, why is he called Ben Reilly? After learning he was a clone, he chose not to interfere with Peter’s life and created a new identity.
“Ben” was inspired by Uncle Ben, while “Reilly” was Aunt May’s maiden name.
Ben made his cinematic debut in the 2023 animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Now, Nicolas Cage will portray a version of him – this time as Spider-Man Noir – in Spider-Noir.
Here, Cage’s Reilly will be portrayed as an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator grappling with his past as the lone superhero in an alternate 1930s New York, staying true to both his comic and animated incarnations.
So far, Prime Video has yet to announce an official release date for Spider-Noir, but it is expected to premiere in 2026.
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