In the realm of the onscreen superhero universe, renowned actor Nicolas Cage, known for navigating the gritty and the eccentric with equal aplomb, recently spilled the beans about the impending Marvel-based live-action series, Spider-Man Noir, including details about the average runtime.

Hold your horses, dear readers. Your superhero indulgence is about to ascend to an unprecedented epoch as Cage unveils that the Spider-Man Noir series, laconically named Noir for the apt lack of color in the character’s life, will be an eight-episode potboiler with each episode running for an average span of 45 minutes.

Not drawing a conclusion just yet, Cage, in a nifty quip, states, “Forty-five minutes. I mean, it’s eight episodes. So it’s the equivalent of four movies in five months.” Now, who are we to argue with that stellar breakdown!

In an expository raid with The New Yorker, cage shared his aspirations for Noir. A self-professed old soul, Cage hopes that the series could draw inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood, including legends such as James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. The actor admits that his younger self had an ambition of emulating the aforementioned stars’ enigmatic aura. Now ready to dawn the black-and-white Noir costume for the Amazon show, Nick is eager to see if he manages to re-inspire some of that classical Hollywood “flavor”.

Rewinding to May 2024, Cage’s involvement in the Noir series was formally announced, a little above a year after the series’ advent was teased by Sony and Prime Video. Repeting his role as the 2018 Spider-Man Noir in the much-loved animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cage is ready to squeeze back into the noiristic webs.

Gaining traction as the solitary actor attached to Noir, as we speak, the plot continues to be shrouded in mystery. The series, the first-ever live-action conduit in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, only promises an anecdote about an aging, luck-deprived private detective (our dear Cage) from the ’30s New York. The arc will see him compelled to reconcile with his heroic past life, once touted as the city’s only superhero.

Stand-up comedian-cum-writer Steve Lightfoot is set to channel the series, lending his witty prowess as a co-showrunner alongside Oren Uziel, the scribe-in-chief and executive producer for Noir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal, the much-encouraged producers of Into the Spider-Verse, will also join the ranks as executive producers.

As of now, the Noir series does not have a set premiere date but it is slated for a primary debut on MGM+, followed by a worldwide release on Prime Video at an unspecified date. This, dear reader, is the wait before the storm.

Credit: Patrick Kelley, ATC