Prime Video’s Upcoming Detective Series Breaks A Long-Standing Rule Of TV

Prime Video is on the verge of delivering a detective show unlike any other on television, and not just because the main character has powers straight out of the pages of Marvel Comics. Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage, is taking a traditional approach to the noir genre while also delivering an option that’s familiar for fans of Marvel movies.

The first taste of Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir came from 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, although he voiced another version of Peter Parker in the film. For Spider-Noir, Cage plays Ben Reilly, a private detective in 1930s New York and the only superhero in the city. Ben has seen better days, and must deal with a personal tragedy.

When the new series releases on MGM+ and Prime Video, viewers will have the option of watching either in color or black-and-white, as the final Spider-Noir trailer in both formats gives a taste of what to expect. The two trailers are cut the exact same way, but the difference in color makes a notable difference.

The two options for one show are enough to break a rule of television that has lasted for decades. A project is usually produced in one form or the other, aside from occasional exceptions. A live-action project on the scale of Spider-Noir being available in both formats is unprecedented, and all but impossible before the rise of streaming services.

Add on the fact that Spider-Noir is bringing an Academy Award winner to television for his first starring role on the small screen, and this is surely going to be a show that stands out among 2026 releases.

Other TV Shows Have Had Black & White Episodes, But Spider-Noir Is Different

Classic shows like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy were originally released in black-and-white, of course, while more modern series have produced special black-and-white episodes before going back to color. The format change works especially well with genre shows like The X-Files, Fringe, WandaVision, and Black Mirror.

But fans of those shows generally can’t get more than an episode or two of black-and-white before switching back to all color, all the time. That won’t be the case for Spider-Noir since there will be two versions of the season that are identical in every way except for the color grading: “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color.”

Executive producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord addressed how they made such an ambitious idea into a reality while speaking with Asian Journal. Lord credited Amazon for committing to the “insanely difficult color timing job” as well as “understanding the value of that and investing in it.”

Chris Miller went on to explain how the filmmakers actually accomplished the task of making one show in two ways, telling the outlet:

“When were on set, the LUT that we were seeing on the monitors was black and white. So, we were always making sure that it was going to work in black and white, but we were capturing the color version also. But it was tuned to black and white. So, there was a lot of work that had to be done on the color.”

Spider-Noir isn’t a black-and-white project that had to be colorized, like what happened with It’s a Wonderful Life and select episodes of I Love Lucy years after they were made. Two versions were captured on set at the same time for Spider-Noir, leading to a truly unique finished product unlike anything else on TV.

Black & White Vs. Color: Which Version Should You Watch First?

One of the perks of Spider-Noir releasing on Prime Video is that viewers can watch both versions, but there’s still the question of which to watch first. Even though the vast majority of movies and TV series are produced in color circa 2026, there are also many standout movies filmed in black-and-white over the past two decades.

The choice may come down to the personal taste of each viewer. Anybody going into Spider-Noir out of a love for Marvel’s Spider-Man comics, the MCU, or Into the Spider-Verse might prefer the color cut. Anybody who watches as a fan of the noir genre or had their curiosity piqued by the trailer might want the black-and-white first.

At the time of writing, the “Authentic Black & White Trailer” has accumulated 6.6 million views on YouTube. In contrast, the “True-Hue Full Color” has only been viewed 4.5 million times on the platform. Nicolas Cage himself shared which version of the version he was most drawn to, telling Esquire:

“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.”

Cage went on to say that he thinks “teenage viewers will appreciate the color,” but hopes that teens also watching in black-and-white “would instill some interest in them to look at earlier movies and enjoy that as an art form as well.”

Spider-Noir will only run for eight episodes when it debuts May 27 on Prime Video after airing on MGM+’s broadcast channel two days earlier, so watching both versions wouldn’t take too much time. Viewers also don’t need to be current on Spider-Man lore from other sources. It’s not set in the MCU, and Spider-Noir isn’t a continuation of Into the Spider-Verse. As of 2023, Cage wasn’t attached to the Spider-Verse sequel.

It remains to be seen if Spider-Noir will receive an order for a second season. Nicolas Cage has never starred in an ongoing TV show over the course of his career to date, but perhaps the Prime Video show will be an exception. He’s on board as an executive producer as well as star.

Release Date

May 25, 2026

Network

MGM+

Episodes

8