‘Spider-Noir’ Trailer Debuts with Unique Black-and-White and Color Options
A Web of Two Worlds: ‘Spider-Noir’ Trailer Debuts with Unique Black-and-White and Color Options
LOS ANGELES — In a bold stylistic gamble that mirrors the duality of its protagonist, Prime Video has officially pulled back the curtain on its live-action Spider-Noir series. The studio released two distinct versions of the debut trailer yesterday—dubbed “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color”—offering fans a choice in how they consume the grit and shadows of 1930s New York (trailer below in both colour & bw).
The series, which stars Nicolas Cage in his first-ever leading television role, is set to premiere globally on 27th May 2026, on Prime Video, following an early linear debut on MGM+ on 25th May.
“With No Power Comes No Responsibility”
The trailer introduces a weary, aging version of the wall-crawler, but with a twist: this isn't Peter Parker. Cage portrays Ben Reilly, a cynical private investigator who has long since hung up his mask following a deeply personal tragedy. The footage is punctuated by a dark inversion of the classic Spider-Man creed:
“With no power comes no responsibility.”
As Reilly, Cage leans into a performance he describes as "70% Humphrey Bogart and 30% Bugs Bunny." The teaser shows him navigating rain-slicked Manhattan alleyways, nursing a drinking problem, and eventually donning a makeshift trench coat-and-fedora costume to return to his life as “The Spider.”
The Choice of Aesthetics
The decision to release two versions of the show, not just the trailer, is a first for the superhero genre.
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Authentic Black & White: Shot by cinematographer Darran Tiernan (The Penguin), this version utilizes lighting techniques designed specifically for monochrome, emphasizing deep shadows and high-contrast "noir" silhouettes.
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True-Hue Full Color: Producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller described this palette as "intentionally off," mimicking the washed-out, sickly colorization of mid-century film classics.
“We wanted to give the audience agency,” co-showrunner Oren Uziel said in a press release. “You can watch it like a classic 1940s detective film, or like a vintage, colorized comic book. Both are equally valid ways to enter Ben Reilly’s world.”
A Hard-Boiled Rogue's Gallery
The trailer also provides a first look at the series’ ensemble cast and their "noir-ified" Marvel roles:
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Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane: A philosophical and paranoid mob boss with connections to Reilly’s past.
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Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson: An optimistic freelance journalist who serves as a foil to Reilly’s cynicism.
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Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy: A femme fatale nightclub singer whose character draws inspiration from screen icons like Rita Hayworth.
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Jack Huston as Flint Marko: Reimagined as a granite-tough bodyguard, likely the noir version of the Sandman.
The footage also teased a mysterious, lightning-wielding figure hinting at a 1930s iteration of Electro, confirming that while the setting is grounded, the threats are decidedly superhuman.
A Binge-Model Release
In a departure from its usual weekly rollout, Prime Video confirmed that all eight episodes of Spider-Noir will be available to binge simultaneously on its May release date.
Whether viewers choose the monochrome grit or the "True-Hue" neon, one thing is clear from the trailer: Nicolas Cage’s debut in the Marvel multiverse is looking to be as unhinged and atmospheric as fans hoped.
