Summary
Noir, the Spider-Man series starring Nicolas Cage, has recently been confirmed for Amazon Prime, with the show having the potential to break a 47-year-old Spider-Man power tradition. Cage first portrayed the role of Spider-Man Noir in 2018’sSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, providing the voice for the older, detective-inspired variant of Spider-Man. The character is expected to return inSpider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’s story, with Cage likely also reprising his role.
Theending ofSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseteased this, providing fans of the character from the 2018 movie with something to look forward to. Aside from his appearance in theupcomingSpider-Manmovie, Cage has been confirmed to take his character beyond the confines of animation, with a live-actionSpider-Man NoirTV show in the works with Amazon Prime. This show has the potential to break a lot ofSpider-Manconventions due to its unique take on the Web-Slinger, with one of these potential changes linking to Spidey’s powers and stretching back almost five decades.
Nicolas Cage’s Live-Action Spider-Man Breaks A 47 Year Old Spider-Man Casting Tradition
Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir series breaks a record with its new Spidey, who will be very different from previous live-action wall-crawlers.
Spider-Man Noir Has Far More Limited Web Shooting Superpowers Than Other Versions
Modern Spider-Man Web Shooters Were Not Shared By Noir In His Original Stories
The break of tradition concerning superpowers inSpider-Man Noirlinks to his web shooters. Although Spider-Man Noir has normal web shooters inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-VerseandSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, this was not always the case. In the character’s original interpretation,Spider-Man Noir(2009), the character’s web shooting was much more limited than it is typically shown in Spider-Man comics, shows, or movies. This was fixed later, when Spider-Man Noir was resurrected, giving him more traditional web shooters.
However, before this point, Noir could not create web lines to swing from as Spider-Man usually can. Instead, Spider-Man Noir’s web shooters produced more net-like webbing, allowing him to trap criminals and aid his investigative exploits. If theSpider-Man NoirTV show chooses to adapt this style of web shooting, it will break 47 years of Spider-Man tradition in live-action. Going all the way back to the first live-action Spidey in 1977, the character has always had his traditional web lines, meaning Noir could be the first one to have such a limitation in the Amazon Prime show.
Noir’s Limited Web Superpowers Make Perfect Sense For Nicolas Cage’s Live-Action Show
Limited Web Shooting Would Fit An Older, Smaller-Budgeted Spider-Man
At first, this change to Spider-Man’s web-slinging could seem too drastic. However, it fits the expected tone and style of Nicolas Cage’sSpider-Man NoirTV show. For the first time since the first live-actionSpider-Manadaptation,Noiris set to focus on an older version of the character. Cage is 60 years old, and the show’s premise surrounds an older detective coming face-to-face with aspects from his earlier superhero life. This premise sounds much more grounded and gritty than mostSpider-Manmovies, fitting the overall inspiration of noir filmmaking for the character.
With this tone expected for the show, grandiose web-swinging scenes would simply feel out of place. The more acrobatic action sequences typical with Spider-Man adaptations will likely be avoided inNoiras these aspects, as well as web-swinging sequences, fit the more generic superhero stories that the character appears in. If the early promises ofNoirare anything to go by, it is clear the show will be anything but generic and tell a different kind of superhero story than theMCU’sSpider-Man 4,for example, one that limited webbing superpowers could fit aesthetically, tonally, and stylistically.
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How Else Noir Will Likely Differ From Other Spider-Man Movies & Shows
Noir Will Forego Typical Spider-Man Formula
These differences in web shooting only bring to the fore the other ways in whichNoirwill likely differ from commonSpider-Manmovies and TV shows. As alluded to, the overall story ofNoiris expected to play out like a detective story. The initial premise released for the show teased that Cage’s character has foregone his duties as Spider-Man when the story begins, with his past as the masked vigilante catching up to him. As such,the story will likely delve into what makesNoirunique by having Cage play an older detective.
The villains of Spider-Man Noir’s comic book stories are also quite different from the typical antagonists like Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, or Venom…
This detective-driven story will also mean less big-budget action sequences that are commonly found inSpider-Manmovies, leading to a more melancholy tone. Cage has often been known to present such stories and characters, withNoirlikely being no different. The villains of Spider-Man Noir’s comic book stories are also quite different from the typical antagonists like Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, or Venom, marking a difference in whom this iteration of the character will face off against. All of this, when combined with the tradition-breaking web shooters, establishesNoiras a different, and highly exciting, take on the character of Spider-Man.
