Fans are split over Marvel's first look at its upcoming 2026 Spider-Man TV series. Amazon Prime Video is set to get in on the web-slinging fun later this year with the release of the Nicolas Cage-led Spider-Noir. The new streaming series is set to take the classic Spider-Man character and put him in a gritty, grimy detective story, adapting the beloved Spider-Man Noir character from the comics.
In anticipation of the new series' release, Amazon debuted a series of stunning first photos from the show, which has divided Marvel fans into two distinct camps. One key distinction of the new Spider-Man show is that it will debut as part of a dual release. The upcoming comic book epic will show up on the service in both full color and black-and-white.
Because of this unique release strategy, fans across the Marvel world have been split over which version of Spider-Noir they will engage with when it hits Amazon Prime Video.
"My first watch is going to be in color," wrote The Brandon Davis Show's Brandon Davis on X, as he lauded the look of the show in its fully colorized form. Yeah, I think I'm gonna watch the colored version. The [cinematography and visuals are] so clean," posited another commenter.
Meanwhile, people on the other side of the dividing line seem just as passionate.
One fan of the show's black-and-white look remarked, "You're insane if you don't watch this in black & white." Another chimed in with, "I usually prefer color over black in white, but might have to see this one in black and white."
Either side of the argument seems about even, essentially splitting the fanbase over what the 'right' way to watch the new series will be.
Spider-Noir is set for release sometime this spring on Amazon Prime Video. The upcoming series stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly/Spider-Man Noir, a super-powered private investigator who becomes embroiled in a criminal conspiracy involving the ruthless crime boss Silvermane (played by Brendan Gleeson). Both versions of the upcoming Spider-Man show will be available on the same day.
What's the Right Way to Watch Spider-Noir?
Of course, when you give audiences a choice like the one Marvel offers with Spider-Noir, fans will be quick to take sides. The fact that the super-powered brand is offering a choice at all should be applauded, allowing audiences to experience the gritty crime drama in whatever way they see fit.
Spider-Noir's distinct black-and-white look (while not necessarily the definitive way to watch the series) at least feels the most authentic to what the 2026 Spider-Man show is going for. Much has been made about the title's reverence for the classic noir stories of the 1940s, deriving its dreary monochromatic look from staples of the genre like This Gun for Hire and The Shadow.
Talking about the choice to release the series in both color and black-and-white, Nicolas Cage told Esquire, "I understand why they presented it in both... But the black and white is what I was drawn to," citing "people [who] that haven't had a lot of experience with black and white" for the reason they decided to release two versions of the seies:
"I understand why they presented it in both, and I suggested it in the beginning. I remember when Amazon was first thinking about doing it, they were nervous about black and white. And I said, “You don't have to only do it in black and white. You could do it in color as well because this is for all ages.” For people that haven't had a lot of experience with black and white, they can enjoy the color. And the color is beautiful. But the black and white is what I was drawn to."
From Cage's comments, it seems the Spider-Noir lead sees the black-and-white version as the definitive experience, but does not entirely discount the colorized version either, declaring that both have merits.
