Despite Nicolas Cage’s extensive acting career spanning over 100 films, his talents have rarely graced the realm of TV. Now, in Prime Video’s upcoming live-action series Spider-Noir, which is an expansion of the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse universe, Cage is making the silver screen shift he’s been teasing for a while.
And surprise, surprise, his co-stars are loving every minute working with the legend.
Based on the Spider-Man Noir comic books, the TV series (made by filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) already has a cult following, which only expanded after Cage voiced the character’s animation in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018.
What’s even more refreshing about this series is that it’s available to view in both black-and-white and colour, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the darkness of the time period.
Speaking to WHO, actor Lamorne Morris (who was in New Girl and Fargo) and Karen Rodriguez (from The Hunting Wives and Shining Girls) opened up about how “surreal” it is to enter the Marvel universe and Cage’s generosity as a co-star.
Nicolas Cage is ‘an open book’ on set
It’s a well-known fact that Nicolas Cage, 62, is the kind of Hollywood veteran actors dream of working with.
In this universe, audiences are going to see a version of Spider-Man that no one has seen before, hence why Cage was the perfect choice.
Rodriguez, who plays Ben Reilley’s assistant Janet, and Morris, who plays Ben’s friend and dedicated investigative reporter Robbie Robertson, explained it was a “generous” and “strange journey” acting alongside Cage.
“It’s a strange journey to be on when you’re on that journey with Nicolas Cage,” Morris told WHO. “Because you’re not just acting. You’re learning at the same time, and not just about acting. You’re learning about all aspects of life.”
“Because he has lived it, and he’s an open book. You ask him a question about anything, he’ll just talk to you about certain things. And for me, as an inquisitive individual, especially an inquisitive individual about things that don’t necessarily matter, I’m always just like, cool, what kind of watch is that? And then he’ll give me the history on the watch.”
Rodriguez agreed with Morris on the joy of working with Cage in a series dealing with a lot of darkness.
“He’s so generous and warm, a little shy, a wealth of knowledge,” Rodriguez told WHO. “You can just talk to him about anything.”
“And he’s just very generous with his process. There were several moments on set where I just get to talk to him about the scene or about the relationship, and I really would have to pinch myself to just be like, I can’t believe I get to talk about the craft or acting or anything related to this art form with Nicolas Cage.
“It was just wild.”
Michael B. Jordan welcomed the cast into the Marvel universe
Alongside working with the likes of Cage, both Morris and Rodriguez gushed about what a “dream come true” it is to be a part of the Marvel universe now, and the A-list contacts they now have.
“Dream come true 100 per cent,” Morris said. “I’ve had a few Marvel folks [reach out].”
From Academy-Award winner and Black Panther star “Michael B. Jordan” to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ring lead Simu Liu who “came up to [Morris] to talk about the show” while he “was having lunch”, Morris revealed how it’s been “a real cool ride so far” and how he “just can’t wait for people to finally see it.”
The Emmy-Award winner also joked about being back in the same universe as his friend and New Girl co-star Jake Johnson who played Peter B. Parker – a seasoned and slightly jaded alternate-universe version of Spider-Man in the Spider-Verse film franchise.
“I don’t count him, you know what I mean?” Morris joked to WHO when discussing the A-listers from the Marvel world who reached out. “But no, he also reached out and we talked about it.”
“We were on a hike once and we were both talking about how funny it is that we’re both in that same world of that multiverse. It’s pretty cool. Both Lord and Miller characters.”
Why Lamorne Morris and Karen Rodriguez’s characters set Spider-Noir in it’s 1930s time period
While Cage’s character firmly brings across the hard-done-by persona and tragedy setting this Spider-Man storyline apart, it’s Morris and Rodriguez’s characters and their dynamic with Cage that bring the complexities of the 1930s time period to life.
Reflecting on her character in the show, Rodriguez compares Janet to her past “brooding” roles in the thriller worlds of The Hunting Wives or Shining Girls.
“I think in the past, I’ve played pretty brooding characters. They’ve gone through a lot,” Rodriguez said. “They are heart forward, but yeah, have gone through a lot, and I think with Janet, it was about being a bright spot in this kind of darker noir world.”
“So that was really fun for me to explore. She’s actually resilient and values a sense of humour, which I think in tough times is so valuable.”
Morris had similar reflections on the role his character plays in the noir world of the series, particularly comparing his new role of Robbie Robertson with his Emmy-Award winning performance as North Dakota State Trooper Witt Farr from Fargo.
“I would say Witt Farr from Fargo could be kind of similar to Robbie in that there is something nefarious going on and he has to get to the bottom of it,” Morris explained. “Now, I would say their tactics are a little bit different.”
“Witt Farr is a little bit more by the book, which cost him dearly. He doesn’t speak much and he is internally dealing with a lot of grief and loss, and he just wants to go and repay this debt. Whereas Robbie is very outspoken, I would say. He’s not shy. He’s a man of many hats and will do whatever he can to get the scoop – not necessarily by the book – because in those days, by the book didn’t benefit his skin complexion at times.”
“So he was just like, well, screw ‘by the book’. I’m going to go and do what I got to do to help keep the people safe.”
It’s these intricacies – these moments of both comic relief and an understanding of the racial power dynamics of the time – that set Spider-Noir apart from other super-hero series; a uniqueness that was not only demanded by the cult following the comics already maintain, but also the world of filmmaking today.
Where can you watch Spider-Noir in Australia?
Spider-Noir is available to watch in Australia on Prime Video.
The series will premiere on May 27, 2026, with all episodes available to watch in both black-and-white and colour.
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