The Spider-Verse just confirmed a replacement for Gwen Stacy in its next series. Following the success of the animated films Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, Sony is expanding this world with an experimental new live-action series, starring Nicolas Cage as his Spider-Verse character, Spider-Man Noir. The new series Spider-Noir takes place in an alternate universe where Ben Reilly serves as New York City's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and private investigator during the Depression Era.
The Spider-Noir series has already introduced several changes to classic characters in this alternate universe, including variations on Tombstone and Black Cat. But when it comes down to it, Spider-Man Noir/Ben Reilly is an alternate version of the same character, and his story follows many similar patterns to Peter Parker's. This includes a Gwen Stacy-like character in Reilly's life, who was revealed in the Prime Video show's latest trailer.
The newest trailer for Spider-Noir confirms that Reilly once loved a woman named Ruby, who seemingly drowned in a car accident after he failed to save her. Ruby's death is something that has haunted Reilly, with his friend, Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris), reminding him, "You've been in a hole ever since Ruby died."
The footage that accompanies this line shows a woman trapped in a sinking car, with Reilly, in his suit as The Spider, reaching out to save her.
Later in the trailer, Reilly is shown placing a ring atop a gravestone, presumably Ruby's. While it's still unclear who Ruby is to Ben, this all suggests that the two were romantically involved, possibly even engaged or married.
Gwen Stacy is a character who plays a very similar role in Peter Parker's lore as Ruby seems to in Ben Reilly's.
Gwen is known as one of Peter's early love interests, who is eventually murdered by the Green Goblin in the comics, which is an event that devastates Spider-Man after he is unable to save her. This arc famously came to life on-screen in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man failed to save Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy from a lethal fall (he later had his redemption in Spider-Man: No Way Home).
Gwen has also played a pivotal role in the Spider-Verse franchise, becoming Spider-Gwen (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) in her universe, and helping Miles Morales and the other Spider-People to save the Multiverse. Miles and Gwen share an unrequited love in the franchise, with Miles struggling to confess his feelings for Gwen and Gwen struggling to reciprocate because of her trauma over Peter Parker's death in her universe.
The rules of the Spider-Verse dictate that there are canon events in each of the Spider-Persons' stories, such as the death of an Uncle Ben figure in each of their lives. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse confirmed that Gwen and Spider-Man's relationship is a canon event. "In every other universe, Gwen Stacy falls for Spider-Man, and in every other universe, it doesn't end well," Gwen warns Miles in the movie. It seems like Ruby's death could be considered Spider-Noir's version of a Gwen Stacy "canon event".
So far, there's been no confirmed casting of a Gwen Stacy or MJ equivalent in Spider-Noir, which are Spider-Man's two most common love interests. But seeing as Spider-Noir is bringing its own spin to many Spider-Man characters and story tropes, the character of Ruby could very easily be this universe's version of Gwen Stacy.
Spider-Noir will be released on Prime Video on May 27 (or slightly earlier on MGM+). The series is overseen by Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with Oren Uziel serving as showrunner. Nicolas Cage leads the series as Ben Reilly, with Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Brendan Gleeson, and Jack Huston also starring.
Spider-Noir Has a Twist on Spider-Man’s Love Interest Lore
Ben Reilly's Gwen Stacy canon event will seemingly already have happened when Spider-Noir begins, with the superhero still dealing with the grief and trauma of this loss. However, that doesn't mean Spider-Noir won't have a love interest for Reilly.
Trailers have hinted at a spark forming between Reilly and Li Jun Li's Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat. In the Spider-Noir universe, Felicia is a femme fatale-style nightclub singer who has ties to the underworld conspiracy that Reilly is investigating.
In the comics, Spider-Man has been known to have a relationship with Black Cat, which is typically an on-again-off-again affair given the two's hero/antihero contrast. Spider-Man and Black Cat's relationship hasn't been fully explored on-screen in any of the theatrical Spider-Man movies (although it was once planned for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4). Now fans will finally get to experience the dynamic between the pair in Spider-Noir.
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