Ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe proved that there’s an audience for every kind of superhero project, Marvel has given its characters every chance to go out on their own. It may take a few years for the creatives to come up with the right idea, but even mainstays like Loki, who sit on the sidelines for years, get the opportunity to headline their own project. Sony has been using the same strategy for its Marvel characters for a while now to varying degrees of success. While the first Venom did well enough to warrant two sequels, movies like Morbius and Kraven the Hunter failed to impress. The mixed bag sent Sony back to the drawing board, and the powers that be came back with a new strategy: TV shows.
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To piggyback on the success of the first two Spider-Verse films, Sony is developing a Spider-Man Noir TV show that will see Nicolas Cage reprise his role as a Noir-themed version of the Wall-Crawler. However, outside of a brief teaser, there’s not much to go on in terms of details. We know the show will be a period piece, aping the aesthetic of early 20th-century America. That said, Spider-Man Noir has already been hopping across realities of the Marvel Multiverse, which means he could conceivably meet anyone from Marvel properties, or Spider-Noir could re-invent any Marvel characters to better fit its Noir reality.
No matter which direction the show goes in, these characters would fit right in with Nic Cage’s Spider-Man Noir.
1) The Punisher
Ignoring all the Sony/Marvel legal roadblocks will make speculating a lot more fun. For instance, having Punisher show up in Spider-Man Noir’s black-and-white world sounds like too good an opportunity to pass up. Frank Castle likes to keep the street clean, and if someone in his crosshairs ends up on Spider-Man’s to-do list, the two heroes could have a showdown for the ages.
2) Daredevil
Daredevil’s attitude is the perfect fit for a noir environment, with Matthew Murdock constantly keeping his ear to the ground and investigating criminals in Hell’s Kitchen. With Spider-Man only a few streets away, Daredevil can join him on a mission or two and prove that his fighting style fits in any era.
3) Luke Cage
If the MCU doesn’t plan to use Luke Cage anytime soon, there’s no harm in lending him to Spider-Man Noir for a little while. Cage has incredible strength and can help the Wall-Crawler take down New York’s tougher bad guys. Daredevil got to share the screen with Spider-Man, so it’s time for Marvel to extend that same courtesy to Cage.
4) Peter B. Parker
While Sony’s show may ignore the events of the Spider-Verse movies altogether, it should really consider reuniting the titular hero with Peter B. Parker. Jake Johnson can reprise his role in live-action and bring his hilarious attitude to 1930s New York. There’s no telling what kind of hijinks the Spider-Man duo could get up to.
5) Spider-Ham
Another Spider-Verse hero that deserves a shot in a live-action setting is Peter Porker. After being the breakout star of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, he only appears briefly in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse when Gwen Stacy puts together a team to save Miles Morales. His role could expand in the third movie, but to ensure the world gets enough Spider-Ham, he should get the chance to fight alongside Spider-Man Noir.
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6) Green Goblin
Green Goblin has a pretty big role in the first Spider-Verse movie, being one of the villains Kingpin employs to make sure his collider turns out. However, he doesn’t get many lines, and with the MCU opting to bring back Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn, there’s room for another take on the character. Spider-Man Noir can make the villain more grounded, giving the titular hero a psychological threat rather than a physical one.
7) Kingpin
Speaking of Kingpin, he’s the perfect villain to terrorize Spider-Man in the ’30s. Wilson Fisk is getting plenty of screen time in Daredevil: Born Again, sure, but there’s room for more than one take on the villain in live-action. After all, there might not be a better opportunity for Kingpin to throw down with Spider-Man.
8) Kraven the Hunter
Another villain that fits Spider-Man Noir‘s world is Kraven the Hunter. After failing on the big screen, Kraven can set his sights on the Spider-Man on the small one, making life difficult for the hero. If the MCU isn’t going to adapt “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” Sony should jump at the opportunity.
9) Chameleon
With Spider-Man Noir being a detective, there’s no better adversary than someone who can change their appearance. Underrated Spider-Man villain Chameleon fits that description, and he just so happens to be the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter. Perhaps investigating Chameleon puts Spider-Man Noir on a collision course with the world’s best hunter.
10) Black Cat
Black Cat has yet to show up in the MCU, and if Marvel Studios wants to continue to drag its feet, Sony shouldn’t hesitate to bring her into the fold. A cat burglar has the feel of a ’30s villain, and with Noir in the twilight of his career, the two characters may already have a past. Making Black Cat the love interest is definitely a better call than using Mary Jane Watson or Gwen Stacy again.
Do you think these characters should appear in Spider-Man Noir? Who else do you think belongs on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
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Image Credit: Warner Bros.
