Prime Video’s hotly anticipated superhero drama, Spider-Noir, drops this week – and it definitely deserves a spot on your watchlist.

Nicolas Cage leads the cast, reprising the role he first voiced in 2018’s animated hit, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This time around, the live-action series follows an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York who just happens to be the city’s lone superhero, The Spider.

Ben Reilly/Spiderman (Nicolas Cage) in SPIDER-NOIR © Aaron Epstein/Prime
Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly/Spiderman in SPIDER-NOIR

The hype surrounding the show is massive, and for good reason: it marks the Oscar winner’s first-ever leading television role and his live-action superhero debut. Trading traditional comic book tropes for a gritty, neo-noir aesthetic, the series has already won over critics, boasting an impressive 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In a unique twist, viewers can choose to watch in either ‘Authentic Black & White’ or ‘True-Hue Full Color,’ letting them dictate their own viewing experience.

Intrigued? Here is everything you need to know before the series lands on TV screens on 27 May.

What is Spider-Noir about?

Set in 1930s New York, Spider-Noir follows Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator who walked away from his superhero past after a devastating tragedy. However, when duty calls him back into action, Ben is forced to dust off his mask and confront the ghosts of his history as the city’s one and only protector.

Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris) in Spider-Noir © Aaron Epstein
Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson

The official synopsis reads: “Spider-Noir tells the story of Ben Reilly, a seasoned, down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.”

Who stars in Spider-Noir?

Nicolas Cage (Adaptation, National Treasure) leads the cast as Ben Reilly.

He’s joined by Emmy Award®-winning actor Lamorne Morris (Fargo, New Girl) as Robbie Robertson, Li Jun Li (Sinners, Babylon) as Cat Hardy, Abraham Popoola (Atlas, Slow Horses) as Lonnie Lincoln / Tombstone, Karen Rodriguez (The Hunting Wives, Acapulco) as Janet, Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire, Day of The Fight) as Flint Marko / Sandman and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin, Harry Potter) as Silvermane.

Ben Reilly/Spiderman (Nicolas Cage) in SPIDER-NOIR © Aaron Epstein/Prime
The series follows an aging, down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York

Guest star cast includes Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Caldwell, Amy Aquino, Andrew Robinson, and Kai Caster.

What have critics said about the series?

The series has received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Empire hailing it as “absurdly brilliant, brilliantly absurd concoction, on paper a ridiculous idea but in execution, genius” in its five-star review.

Nicolas Cage (Ben Reilly/Spiderman) in SPIDER-NOIR © Aaron Epstein/Prime
Spider-Noir arrives on Prime Video on 27 May

Meanwhile, RadioTimes.com praised Nicolas’ performance as “pitch-perfect” in its four-star review and The Wrap called the drama “one of the year’s best shows so far”.

Elsewhere, Variety described the series as “all style and very little substance,” while The Hollywood Reporter said it was a “disappointment”.

Spider-Noir arrives on Prime Video on 27 May.