Spider-Noir is a fun addition to Spidey canon, not only because it cribs so heavily from the classic Hollywood noir, but because it reshapes the world of Spider-Man around that same theme. The webslinger’s friendly neighborhood is rendered into a dangerous, post-Depression world, and Spider-Noir casts new characters — even switching out Peter Parker for a different Spidey variant, Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage) — to fit into that world.
The rogues’ gallery surrounding “The Spider” also gets a noir-ish update. Though the names may be familiar to Spidey experts, Spider-Noir favors a deeper cut over the classic villain roster. Rather than figures like the Green Goblin or Kingpin, the series plucks lesser-used characters out of obscurity, elevating them into the kind of threat you’d sooner find in a twisty 1930s pulp novel. It all definitely works to the show’s benefit, even if the parallels aren’t obvious right out of the gate. For anyone still in need of a primer, here’s your guide to the noir-inspired villain variants in Spider-Noir.
