Prime Video’s new superhero series “Spider-Noir” stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, a down-on-his-luck private investigator version of Spider-Man in 1930s New York City. The show gives viewers a rare choice: they can watch the series in black and white or in color, with both versions created during production. Production designer Warren Alan Young said the project felt like making “three series at the same time” because every scene, costume, texture, and prop had to work in both looks.
Originally, the series was planned as a black-and-white-only production designed as a classic noir story. That changed when the creative team was asked to build a full color version as well and film both simultaneously. Young spent about ten months on the project, testing camera filters, fabrics, patterns, and materials to ensure they would look effective in both formats. Even small details such as belts, socks, and bedding were carefully checked, since they had to read properly in both black and white and color.
The series follows Cage’s character, who has stepped away from his superhero life but is forced to return to it. The cast also includes Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, and Li Jun Li. Cage’s role marks his first starring television performance, and Young said the actor was enthusiastic, adaptable, and eager to learn the space and the demands of the production.
To recreate 1930s Manhattan, the team shot on soundstages in Los Angeles, on the backlots of Warner Bros. and Universal Studios, and in LA’s historic old bank district. Young said the visual style was influenced by the work of Australian-American artist Martin Lewis, whose charcoal and pencil drawings of New York street scenes from the 1920s and 1930s helped shape the show’s look. The production also drew from period photographs of trains, cafes, and street signs, paying close attention to historical details such as smaller lettering on signage in that era.
Young said the team did not want the series to resemble Warren Beatty’s 1990 film “Dick Tracy,” despite its comic-book roots. Instead, they aimed for a more realistic interpretation of the period while still preserving the mood of a noir comic adaptation. The color palette relied heavily on cyans, reds, greys, and violets, with touches of orange, and the team focused on how warm or cool each shade appeared rather than limiting the range.
Although viewers can choose either version, Young recommended starting with the black-and-white cut because it is the most distinctive. Still, he joked that he may debate the choice for the rest of his life. “Spider-Noir” is now streaming on Prime Video.
