Spider-Noir Boss Explains Why Nicolas Cage Worked as Ben Reilly

Photo Credit: Prime Video

The showrunner for Spider-Noir has revealed why Nicolas Cage was perfect to play Ben Reilly. Instead of playing an alternate version of Peter Parker, Cage plays an aged-up Ben Reilly. The role is a slight departure from Cage’s rendition of the sleuthing Spider-Man in the Spider-Verse movies.

Spider-Noir showrunner says Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly ‘felt really satisfying’

In an interview with TV Insider, Spider-Noir showrunner Oren Uziel talked about why Cage fits Ben Reilly.

“When I first came on, the first thing I asked is if I could age him up,” Uziel said. “Because it’s just … it’s a story that I [would] be more comfortable telling, that I’m more familiar with. I’m not a high school kid anymore. I really thought, let’s see what happens to this character if we jump forward in time and see just what he’s been through and how it’s changed him, and how living a long life as The Spider might affect that character.”

“And then that also allowed us to cast Nic Cage,” explained Uziel. “And then, together with Nic, I think we just created something that I think no one’s ever seen before, and that felt really satisfying.”

Photo Credit: Prime Video

In the show, Cage’s alter ego is simply called “The Spider”. According to its highly positive reviews, the series picks up after the character has abandoned the role. The rest of the show sees Ben Reilly solving a case that forces him to put on the mask again.

Uziel also confirmed that many of Cage’s acting choices helped shape the character on the screen.

“One-thousand percent, and it’s something I wouldn’t have done myself without him,” Uziel added. “I mean, we started talking, and he was really pressing to figure out what it felt like, and what really happened to him when he became a spider. And we really pushed and pushed and got to a place where this guy is really more spider than man at this point. And he’s almost cosplaying as a human. It’s hard work for him to walk around in this human form.”

Spider-Noir is produced by Sony Pictures Television exclusively for MGM+ and Prime Video. Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Uziel and Lightfoot developed the series with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal.

Spider-Noir is streaming now on MGM+ and will be released globally on Prime Video on May 27. It will be available to stream in both black-and-white and in color.

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Originally reported by Rahul Majumdar on SuperHeroHype.com.

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