Why you should watch Spider-Noir in black and white… and not in color

Sony’s new Marvel series arrives today on Prime Video. And Nicolas Cage is campaigning for you to watch it in its original version.

Yes, Spider-Noir, which is released today on Prime Video, also exists in color. But obviously, that’s not at all how Nicolas Cage thought of the series while starring in it.

The actor, who reprises his dark, pulp version of the hero seen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in live-action, explains in this interview (see below) that he had constructed his entire performance for broadcast… in black and white:

“I’m all for watching the show in black and white. I designed my performance for black and white. And I’m happy to have seen it like that!”

But then why also release a color version? Because the actor knows very well that part of the young audience risks losing touch with an entirely monochrome series. It was he who even suggested to the team that they also shoot a colorized version in order to attract teenagers unfamiliar with this type of image.

“I know teenagers, and I know they don’t have a lot of experience with black and white.”

The idea behind this double version is ultimately quite simple: attract young people with color… before pushing them to discover the original black and white version. Like a gateway to Hollywood cinema of the 30s and 40s, which inspires the series, and which Nicolas Cage adores:

“The dream is that they watch the color version and then want to discover the cinematographic references behind it. And then they open a real treasure chest of great American cinema.”

Indeed, the entire concept of Spider-Noir seems designed around this aesthetic. The character himself is directly inspired by Hollywood film noirs of the 1940s, with their tired detectives, their expressionist shadows and their cities drowned in rain and smoke.

Even the communication around the series plays with this idea. In the interview published on social networks, the image gradually changes from black and white to color while Nicolas Cage talks about the two formats. With a fun detail: the Rubik’s Cube-shaped microphone always remains colorful on the screen.

Spider-Noir can be seen on Prime Video from May 27, 2026.