SPIDER-NOIR Showrunner Explains Why Nicolas Cage Was the Perfect Choice for Ben Reilly
Fans heading into Spider-Noir may have expected Nicolas Cage to reprise the same version of Spider-Man Noir he voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but the live-action series takes the character in a very different direction.
Cage steps into the role of an older Ben Reilly, and according to showrunner Oren Uziel, that shift opened the door to something much more interesting.
While speaking with TV Insider, Uziel explained that one of his first creative instincts after joining the series was aging the character up. He wanted to explore what years of carrying the burden of being “The Spider” would actually do to someone.
“When I first came on, the first thing I asked is if I could age him up,” Uziel said. “Because it’s just … it’s a story that I [would] be more comfortable telling, that I’m more familiar with. I’m not a high school kid anymore.
“I really thought, let’s see what happens to this character if we jump forward in time and see just what he’s been through and how it’s changed him, and how living a long life as The Spider might affect that character.”
That approach also led directly to Cage landing the role. “And then that also allowed us to cast Nic Cage,” explained Uziel. “And then, together with Nic, I think we just created something that I think no one’s ever seen before, and that felt really satisfying.”
Cage playing a worn-down Ben Reilly in a grim noir-inspired Spider-Man series makes perfect sense. The actor already brought a strange, pulpy energy to the animated version of Spider-Man Noir, but this series apparently pushes the character into much darker territory.
In Spider-Noir, Cage’s character is simply known as “The Spider,” and the story picks up after he’s already walked away from the mask. A new case drags him back into action, forcing him to confront the life he left behind. Early reactions to the series have been extremely positive, especially regarding Cage’s performance and the show’s eerie tone.
Uziel also revealed that Cage had a huge influence on shaping who this version of Ben Reilly became. The actor apparently dug deep into the psychology and physicality of the character, helping develop the idea that this man barely feels human anymore.
“One-thousand percent, and it’s something I wouldn’t have done myself without him. I mean, we started talking, and he was really pressing to figure out what it felt like, and what really happened to him when he became a spider.
“And we really pushed and pushed and got to a place where this guy is really more spider than man at this point. And he’s almost cosplaying as a human. It’s hard work for him to walk around in this human form.”
That is such a wild and creepy concept for a Spider-Man character, and it sounds like exactly the kind of material Cage thrives on. The idea of Ben Reilly becoming this fractured, exhausted creature trying to imitate humanity gives Spider-Noir a much different vibe from the usual superhero fare.
The series comes from Sony Pictures Television for MGM+ and Prime Video, with Uziel and Steve Lightfoot serving as co-showrunners and executive producers. They developed the project alongside Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal.
Spider-Noir is streaming now on MGM+ and arrives globally on Prime Video on May 27.