Warning: Spoilers ahead for Spider-Noir!I went into Spider-Noir expecting it to be an almost entirely standalone affair. Despite coming from the producers of the Spider-Verse movies, it seemed very clear to me that Nicolas Cage’s Ben “The Spider” Reilly was being treated as tastefully separate from the sprawling web of interconnected Marvel realities. That said, I wasn’t naive enough to believe that the Prime Video series wouldn’t quietly exist within the same cinematic multiverse. I thought I’d need to be especially on alert to look for clues in this respect, though. Spider-Noir wasted no time in removing any doubts about its place in the larger canon.
Spider-Noir immediately sent more than a little confusion through the Marvel fan base when it was announced. At first glance, it looked to be a live-action sequel built around Cage’s animated Spider-Verse character. Everything from the character’s 1930s-tinged dialogue to the unique Spidey outfit seemed to suggest a shared continuity. The biggest clue that Cage was playing a new variant of the comic book icon was that his Spider-Noir character was revealed to be called Ben Reilly, whereas the Spider-Verse movies saw him voice a take on Peter Parker. So, is Spider-Noir an attempt to reboot Cage’s animated Marvel character? Sort of, but not quite.
Ben Reilly’s Opening Monologue in ‘Spider-Noir’ Proves the Show Does Exist Within the Spider-Verse
The presence of Cage’s character in the Spider-Verse movies makes perfect sense. The animated franchise is overflowing with Spider-Man variants from various universes, some of which are vastly different from the most popular iterations. Although a film noir-inspired private detective wouldn’t traditionally be at home in a multiverse storyline, the sheer diversity on display when it comes to the different types of Spideys means Cage’s web-slinger doesn’t look or feel out of place in the Spider-Verse movies. However, in Spider-Noir, which is heavily influenced by the Hollywood flicks of yesteryear, Ben Reilly jumping through different realities would come across as incredibly inauthentic.
Still, Spider-Noir quickly finds a tasteful middle ground. Episode 1, “Step Into My Office,” opens with a very poignant piece of narration from Cage’s character as the show’s premise is established. “Someone once asked me what universe this was,” says Ben. “A strange question that’s stuck with me all these years later. All I could say for sure was it was the only one I knew of. And that was as true then as it is now.” In other words, Ben has had a multiverse encounter; he just didn’t realize it, nor has he since discovered that there are other realities at all.
It’s an evocative and self-aware line that quickly made me fall in love with the show. It not only acknowledges that fans have been debating this very topic, but it also conjures a few fun possibilities. The fact that Ben refers to the mysterious multiversal traveler as “someone” suggests that he didn’t identify them as a fellow Spider-Man. So, my theory is that Ben had a run-in with America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who we haven’t seen since 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. America’s abilities canonically allow her to jump between universes, although her control over that ability is, at best, inconsistent. It’s not wild to think she once jumped to the Spider-Noir reality and briefly crossed paths with Ben Reilly before the events of the show.
‘Spider-Noir’ Should Continue Ignoring Its Marvel Multiverse Status
I love how Ben essentially turns the cryptic multiverse reveal into a speech about how his version of New York is his only home, and that he doesn’t care or even know about other universes. Because it’s the show’s main character uttering this sentiment, it suggests to me that Spider-Noir will never concern itself with a multiverse arc, no matter how long it runs for. I really hope this is the case. While I love the Spider-Verse movies, and Marvel’s Multiverse Saga has, at times, been brilliant, I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I’m a little burnt out by all the reality-hopping and endless crossovers.
Marvel is long overdue for a standalone live-action project, especially one built around Spider-Man, that doesn’t just feel like it’s orchestrating a collision with characters and settings from adjacent storylines. Furthermore, Spider-Noir is so thrillingly fresh that it would be a massive shame to just lump it in with the rest of the Marvel franchise. Thankfully, Ben’s opening speech about his universe being the only one he knows very much appears to be locking the door to any additional visitors after the one he mentioned while introducing Spider-Noir.
- Release Date
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May 27, 2026
- Network
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MGM+
- Showrunner
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Oren Uziel, Steve Lightfoot
- Directors
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Harry Bradbeer
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
