Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Return Comments Makes The Spider-Verse’s Future More Exciting

Nicolas Cage’s comments about a possible live-action Spider-Man Noir show raise hopes of a continuation to Sony’s Spider-Verse movies once the animated Marvel trilogy comes to an end in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was the first major Marvel project outside the comic books to feature Miles Morales in a starring role. Apart from Miles, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse also introduced animated versions of Spider-People from all across the Spider-Verse and the Marvel multiverse, such as Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Woman, Spider-Ham, and Spider-Man Noir — all of whom had never appeared in a movie before.

In the source material, Spider-Man Noir is a Peter Parker variant who gets his powers during the Great Depression. Unlike most versions of Spider-Man in the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man Noir is stoic and brutal in his crime-fighting methods. But like all other Spider-People, he faces his universe’s version of iconic villains such as the Green Goblin, and Vulture. Nicolas Cage’s iteration of Spider-Man Noir is a loyal ally to Miles Morales in the animated Spider-Verse movies, where he opposes Miguel O’Hara’s Spider-Society. After defeating Spider-Man 2099 and saving Miles, however, Spider-Man Noir could continue his journey on his own in live-action.

The Spider-Verse Trilogy Could Be Followed By Live-Action Spinoffs

In March 2023, Nicolas Cage confirmed that he’s discussing a Spider-Man Noir project, which could be released eventually as a live-action solo show. While nothing is set in stone, Cage’s outspoken interest in the project raises the chances of it happening. The fact that Cage has voiced the character in the Spider-Verse movies also suggests that the Spider-People featured in them will be able to star in their own projects after the trilogy has concluded, allowing them to have their own stories separate from Miles Morales and the rest of spider-themed heroes in the Spider-Verse.

Even if Nicolas Cage’s possible Spider-Man Noir show isn’t written as a direct continuation of the animated Spider-Verse trilogy, the concept of the multiverse allows Cage to play a similar version of the character introduced in it, but one specifically redesigned to stand on his own without narrative ties to the Spider-Society. After all, multiple versions of every Spider-Person can exist across the multiverse, and more than one Spider-Man Noir could have Nicolas Cage’s voice and likeness. Therefore, Nicolas Cage’s live-action Spider-Man Noir could be as similar or as different to his animated portrayal as his solo title requires.

Spider-Man Noir Could Open The Door For New Live-Action Spider-Men

A standalone approach to each Spider-Person could help Sony’s future Spider-Man projects stand out over previous movies, and especially over the MCU. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies were free to create entire continuities centered around Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers. Similarly, new Spider-Man projects could follow one Spider-Man variant at a time in self-contained universes, allowing each portrayal to be as unique as it can be, both in terms of characterization and performance.

Multiversal variants of Peter Parker like Spider-Man Noir are different enough from the regular hero that they seem like completely different characters, yet they’re still parallel counterparts to Spider-Men like the ones who have starred in all live-action Spider-Man movies released so far. Hence, Spider-Men like Noir could be Sony’s ticket to have one or more Spider-Men in their franchise without the need for complicated explanations or deals with Marvel Studios. And since they’re so unique, any self-contained, live-action Spider-Man title centered around variants like these could offer stories that no regular Peter Parker could have starred in.

Spider-Man Noir Could Introduce New Standalone Spider-Verse Universes

Apart from ushering in new live-action Spider-People, Nicolas Cage’s live-action Spider-Man Noir show could also pioneer Sony’s own live-action cluster of realities in the Marvel multiverse. After Spider-Man Noir, each Spider-Person’s own live-action project could take place in its own universe. This would not only expand Sony’s part of the multiverse but also allow each hero to have their own standalone story that doesn’t need to tie into the events of other movies. Similar to the animated Spider-Verse, these universes could have their own distinct look and style in live-action, including Spider-Man Noir’s black-and-white reality and the futuristic 2099 universe.

New solo titles like Spider-Man Noir could build entire universes around each Spider-Person and fill them with wild takes on famous Marvel heroes, villains, and supporting characters related to Spider-Man. Thanks to the multiverse, it would also be possible to use two versions of the same character in different universes at the same time. Such a strategy would provide Sony’s Spider-Man movies with a wider assortment of stories, or at least could be bolder than simply adding new anti-heroes to a single Marvel reality where no Spider-Person seems to exist.

Which Spider-Verse Characters Could Also Get Their Own Live-Action Project

If the project moves forward, Nicolas Cage’s live-action Spider-Man Noir show could be Sony’s first step towards solo projects centered on Spider-People who aren’t necessarily variants of Peter Parker. So far, Spider-Man’s absence has been palpable in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, and characters like Venom, Carnage, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter haven’t been able to fight their biggest enemy on the big screen. Instead of forcing the debut of a new live-action Peter Parker actor or bringing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man through the multiverse, Sony’s live-action movies could instead introduce other Spider-People, starting with Spider-Man Noir.

Naturally, the most likely candidates for live-action projects after Spider-Man Noir are Miles Morales’ other Spider-Verse co-stars. Gwen Stacy could be a superhero for the first time in live-action, Miguel O’Hara could explore Marvel’s future in a 2099 movie or show, and the Jessica Drew Spider-Woman project that had been teased for years could finally take shape in its own self-contained reality. Whether the Spider-Verse actors who voiced these characters would return for their live-action films is up for individual discussion, but Nicolas Cage’s reprisal in a live-action Spider-Man Noir show sets the precedent.