Who Is Ben Reilly? Meet the Hero at the Center of ‘Spider-Noir’ Before its Debut
From the shadows of 1930s New York City, a hero waits in the wings. Seemingly part man, part arachnid, he’s out to keep the streets safe for dames and average Joes alike from hooligans and mischief-makers looking to stir up trouble.
Centering on a character who was first introduced to moviegoers in the toon Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Noir is the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned private investigator whose recent run of bad luck is about to get worse as nogoodniks of all shapes and sizes conspire against the good citizens of New York. As the city’s only superhero, Ben would usually fight for truth and justice, but he’s since retired.
Why? Why did Ben hand up his costume? And what dark shadows lurk in his past? Before you check out Amazon Prime and MGM+’s astounding, amazing Spider-Noir, now in “true hue” color and “authentic black & white,” here are a few need-to-knows about the man behind the webbing.
When was Spider-Noir first introduced?
The character was first introduced in Spider-Man: Noir #1, published in February 2009. Created by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, Carmine Di Giandomenico, and Marko Djurdjević, this version of Spider-Man is known for wearing a fedora, trench coat, and goggles, and for using firearms in addition to his arachnid-like abilities. He originates from the Marvel Noir Universe (Earth-90214), a gritty alternate reality set in 1930s New York City during the Great Depression.
The original Marvel comic features a version of Peter Parker driven to seek justice after a thug known as Goblin kills his beloved Uncle Ben. Following a hot tip to the Rooney Imports Warehouse, which is filled with exotic and illegal goods, Peter is bitten by an unusual spider that “bestows the curse of power” on him.
According to the comic, the bite gives Peter enhanced strength, super speed, lightning-fast reflexes, agility, and durability. He can shoot silk webbing from his wrists to swing from buildings and create webs and nets. He can also crawl up walls with little effort and has the signature “spidey-sense” that alerts him to unseen danger.
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Who is Ben Reilly?
In the comics, Ben Reilly is a completely different Spider-Man than the one who inhabits the Noir universe. In fact, his Spider-Man is also distinct from the version introduced to audiences in 2018 ‘s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. That version of Ben Reilly was originally voiced by Andy Samberg. And to be clear, this series is not a spinoff of the feature film by any means, but its own self-contained story.
Using Ben Reilly instead of Peter Parker allows the character to engage in more brutal, R-rated hard-boiled behaviors that are generally a no-no for Peter Parkers in live-action contracts. Peter is generally associated with boy-next-door, friendly neighborhood antics, of which this Spider-Man is not.
“Peter Parker feels very synonymous with a high school kid. Boyish. On his way up,” showrunner Oren Uziel told Esquire. So they chose a Spidey that was more in line with what was needed.
Producer Phil Lord mentioned in an interview with Esquire that the identity switch-up will also be addressed within the show itself. “I have to be coy about the reasons, because you’ll find out,” Lord says. “The reason he’s named Ben Riley is explained,” Producer Christopher Miller added. “We’ll leave it at that.”
So, wait? Then who is this Ben Reilly?
In the comics, Ben Reilly is a Peter Parker clone created by a creepy stalker who had a thing for Gwen Stacey. Living in exile after his “death,” he took the name Ben Reilly as a tribute to both Uncle Ben and Aunt May (her maiden name is Reilly). Ben became a hero in his own right, known as the Scarlet Spider, and even took on the mantle of Spider-Man from the O.G. Peter while he went on hiatus to fix his personal life.
In Across the Spider-Verse, he is an overly moody, 90s-style emo clone of Peter Parker who works as one of Miguel O’Hara‘s top, albeit brooding, lieutenants. Wrapped in a blue hoodie, he is characterized as an over-the-top, dramatic, and edgy parody of himself.
Courtesy of Prime
In the series Spider-Noir, Ben Reilly is a hard-edged detective who uses his gifts to fight the city’s scoundrels. Known as The Spider, Ben was the city’s only costumed hero until a tragedy forced him into early retirement. In the trailer, it is revealed that he lost his drive after losing Ruby, a mysterious woman from his past. Clips show a car plunging into water, with Ben desperately trying to save her, which appears to be the moment that led him to walk away from vigilantism.
Who are Ben’s friends and foes?
Helping Ben are newshound Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris) and gal Friday Janet (Karen Rodriguez). The series features 1930s versions of a “Sinister Six”-style lineup of fiendish foes, including Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), a mob boss who rules the city; Flint Marko/Sandman (Jack Huston), a mysterious figure whose body appears to be made of sand; enforcer Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone (Abraham Popoola); and the volatile Dirk Leydon/Megawatt (Andrew Caldwell).
In the middle of it all is Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a beautiful dame who seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. She hires Ben to help find Flint, pulling him back into a world he thought he had left behind, where every answer only leads to more danger.
Spider-Noir, First episode premiere on May 25 on MGM+; 8-episode drop on May 27 on Prime Video, available in both “authentic black & white” and “true hue” color
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