The massively popular Spider-Verse movies completely redefined Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Before Loki opened up the MCU’s multiverse, Morales was having adventures with an ensemble of Spider-Man variants, from the classic to the porcine.
Now an Into the Spider-Verse side-character is making a surprising jump to live-action television, and the creative talent announced so far suggests the spinoff will take notes from a defunct chapter of superhero TV.
Variety reports the live-action Spider-Man Noir series currently in development at Amazon has chosen Steve Lightfoot as co-showrunner. Lightfoot is an old Marvel pro, as he was previously the showrunner for Netflix Daredevil spinoff The Punisher.
Variety previously reported the series, which has Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller on board as executive producers, will be written by Oren Uziel, who will also serve as co-showrunner. Uziel is best known for writing the screenplays for the adventure rom-com The Lost City, the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, and the Lord-and-Miller-directed 22 Jump Street.
Sony’s choice of showrunners suggests the company is positioning this non-MCU Marvel series to be like its Marvel predecessors on Netflix: a darker, network TV-style drama that stands out from the more light-hearted MCU. Lightfoot could bring some grit to the series, while Uziel’s skills could provide a little levity as a counterbalance.
Replicating the old Netflix style may be a smart strategy for Sony, as the MCU has decidedly swung towards lighter sci-fi and comedy fare like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Ms. Marvel, and Loki. A different tone could be enough to set Spider-Man Noir apart, although with the Daredevil-adjacent MCU series Echo appearing in the new year, Marvel might beat Sony to the punch and bring back the Netflix heyday itself.
Either way, Spider-Man Noir is the perfect star for a series like this. He’s the most cinematic Spider-Man variant, making him ideal for expanding the world of the Spider-Verse into live-action. And his adventures can stand alone from the other Spider-Men, meaning there’s no need to fiddle with tired multiverse ideas. The only question is who will play the broody, black-and-white hero. Was Nicolas Cage serious when he said he’s interested in television now?
