Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduced a character many viewers found impossible to ignore: Ben Reilly. Nicolas Cage lent him an unmistakable aura using little more than his voice, turning a few lines into a presence. It now feels less like a surprise and more like destiny that this same character will be fully brought to life by Cage in the yet-to-be-released Spider-Noir, where that shadowy charm is finally given a body to match the voice.

The character is dark, gritty, and ironic, which thrives in mystery. But Nicholas Cage’s inspiration of it being a 30% Bugs Bunny adds complexity and contradiction while also layering the character Ben Reilly, with multiple traits.

“For me, this character was 70 percent Bogart, and 30 percent Bugs Bunny,” Cage told Esquire.

He further stated that it is like Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny’s voiceover artist) playing Bogart. But all in a while, it is Cage embodying the character as himself.

The Bugs Bunny influence, as Nicolas Cage has admitted, placing it neatly at 30 percent, gives the character a peculiar logic of exaggeration. It allows Ben Reilly to slide between gravity and goof with a straight face, turning mood into something pliable rather than fixed.

Phil Lord told Esquire that Nicolas Cage had a surprisingly simple way of understanding the character: he is not a human with spider traits, but a spider trying to act human

Cage also revealed that Humphrey Bogart was one of his inspirations, for his style and visualisation of a rugged character. The series echoes the 1930s detective novel, which neatly amplifies drama and noir. The stylised suit, gloves, and hat make it a realistically unreal detective drama; nevertheless, it also directs it to Bugs Bunny.

Cage has pointed out that Bogart’s noir figures were never quite naturalistic, their cartoonish edges and deliberate exaggerations making them instantly recognisable and slightly unreal. That larger-than-life quality matters here, because Sony seems to have leaned into the same idea, choosing to present the film in two colour grades, one in stark black and white, the other in full color, allowing the style itself to decide how heightened the world should feel.

Sony to release Spider Noir with two colour viewing options

Being a noir film, Spider-Noir is supposed to be released in Black & White, but considering the new generation, the film is also likely to have the color viewing option. The color option will be available on Prime. This is mainly for the teens and the young generation who are accustomed to viewing films only in color.

Although Nicholas Cage said he prefers the noir style when watching the series as it is what intrigued him about the script and the concept, the color-graded viewing experience is also immaculate for the right amount of saturation.

What color grade will you watch the Spider Noir in? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Sreelaxmi Nair

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui