Even with Spider-Man: Brand New Day coming out this summer, and a third film in the Spider-Verse animated series in the works, one of the most exciting additions to the Marvel franchise isn’t coming to movie theaters. Later this year, Prime Video will release the surprising spin-off TV show Spider-Noir, the first live-action Spider-Man series since the Nicholas Hammond-starring show in the 1970s. Starring Nicolas Cage as a version of the character he’s already voiced in the Spider-Verse movie, it allows a distinct take on the hero to make his way out into the world with some surprising changes.
Not much has been known about the series to this point, though it has been confirmed already that Cage will actually be playing Ben Reilly as his hero, rather than a variant of Peter Parker, in addition to the series releasing both black & white and color episodes at launch. Now, Esquire has a new preview of the series, including not only new photos of Cage and his co-stars but confirmation from executive producers about the other characters that will appear. Among them? A major Spider-Man villain in Silvermaine.
Spider-Noir Series Finally Brings Silvermaine to Live-Action
The new preview of Spider-Noir is filled with a slew of details about the hit series, but finally confirms two major Marvel villains that will be involved in the fun. First, the series confirms that Brendan Gleeson will take on the role of “a gangland boss known as Silvermane,” a name that Marvel fans will know well from the character who made his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #73 back in 1969. A recurring enemy of Spider-Man in the comics, Silvermane is a perfect villain for Spider-Noir. Despite the fact that he’s become super-powered and almost completely robotic in recent years, he has long been a simple gangster in the pages of the comics and has actually never appeared in any of the feature film adaptations of the Marvel hero.
According to the report, Silvermane in Spider-Noir “has been the subject of repeated assassination attempts,” one of which comes via an arsonist who claims he can set fires with his hands. It’s not immediately clear which Spider-Man villain that might be, though it means a character like Molten Man, perhaps, isn’t off the table. Another villain was confirmed, though, with the revelation that Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston will star as Flint Marko. Spider-Man readers should clock that name immediately, as it’s the civilian name of none other than Sandman. It’s unclear if he’ll have those powers in the show, or if the series will put a noir spin on his abilities, but it would be in keeping with how Spider-Man Noir comics have operated in comics for years.
“In all the great detective stories, you have two cases that sort of come together and you realize you’re actually working the same thing,” showrunner Oren Uziel revealed. “He’s a guy getting dragged into a much larger fight that he doesn’t really want to be a part of. Silvermane is the big bad, but what’s happening to Silvermane connects back to Ben’s past and gets him spiraling deeper and deeper into his own origins.”
The new Spider-Noir report also reiterates why Cage’s character isn’t simply a variant of Peter Parker, with executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller noting that Cage’s Ben Reilly is a jaded, older man, which didn’t exactly fit with the idea of Peter Parker, often depicted as a high schooler. This logic doesn’t necessarily track, given the Spider-Verse movie,s though, which not only confirmed Cage’s Spider-Man Noir was a Peter Parker variant but which also includes the Jake Johnson-voiced Peter B. Parker, a jaded and older version of the hero.
In any event, they maintain that there is also a story reason for why Cage’s character, simply called “The Spider” rather than Spider-Man (in the vein of “The Shadow” or “The Spirit”), is actually Ben Reilly and not Peter Parker. Perhaps the big twist for the show will be that Cage’s character is actually the Uncle Ben to an up-and-coming Peter Parker.
The eight-episode first season of Spider-Noir will premiere later this year.