Phil Lord, Chris Miller reveal why Nicolas Cage was perfect for 'Spider-Noir' lead role

Executive producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller revealed that Nicolas Cage's unconventional interpretation of the lead character was the defining factor in shaping the tone of their upcoming series 'Spider-Noir.'

The duo said they were immediately convinced by Cage's idea of blending classic noir intensity with unexpected humour, describing the performance as "70 per cent Humphrey Bogart and 30 per cent Bugs Bunny."

"One of the things that you don't think about with Noir is that you're like, 'It's super serious,'" Miller said, adding, "But Bogart always had a twinkle in his eye and he was always doing something clever, and he and Bugs Bunny have more in common than you might think," as quoted by Deadline.

Lord echoed the sentiment, highlighting the balance of tone the team aims to achieve. "Yeah, there's like a playfulness to it, right? And there's a playfulness to Nic - I think that's why he's so iconic... And so the idea is that the show is: it is a big character drama, it is an amazing mystery, it's a big event television, but it's also light on its feet," he said.

'Spider-Noir', a live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, follows Ben Reilly, a weary private investigator in 1930s New York who must confront his past after a personal tragedy, all while operating as the city's only superhero.

Miller explained the origins of the project, linking it back to Cage's earlier involvement in the animated 'Spider-Verse' franchise.

"The origin story was this was a character that we developed in the first Spider-Verse movie and we had an amazing time working with Nic Cage," he said, adding, "And when the idea of us making a live-action Spider show came up, this was the first idea that we had, because it felt like it was a contained universe. It was its own thing," as quoted by Deadline.

The creators emphasised that the show will stand independently, rather than being tied into a broader franchise narrative.

"We didn't want to do something that's part of some giant web of interconnected series. It's just its own little jewel of a story... It's the Hope Diamond of television," Miller said, as quoted by Deadline.

To bring the concept to life, they collaborated with showrunner Oren Uziel, whom Miller described as "the biggest noir aficionado we know."

The pitch, a Bogart-style detective who also has spider powers, quickly gained traction.

Cage, for his part, leaned into a more unconventional character arc. "Listen, is it okay if he's old and washed up as a character? Because I really relate to that type of a person more than a plucky upstart teenager," Miller recalled Cage saying. "We're like, 'Absolutely!'" he said.

Lord added that the emotional core of the story remains central. "That's the thing that I love about a noir is it's about people in impossible situations," he said, adding, "And the thing that Amy Pascal always taught us about Spider-Man is it's not about flying around. It's about what's going on inside these guys and how challenged they are trying to live their lives as human beings and also live their lives as heroes at the same time," as quoted by Deadline.

The series also stars Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson, Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy, and Karen Rodriguez as Janet.

Produced by Sony Pictures Television, 'Spider-Noir' will stream exclusively on Prime Video and MGM+.

Emmy-winning director Harry Bradbeer has helmed the first two episodes, with Steve Lightfoot joining Uziel as co-showrunner and executive producer.

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