Even though HBO Max and Disney+ are the respective streaming homes for the DCU and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (with very rare exceptions), Prime Video has also been a major player in the world of superheroes. Among the earliest shows that premiered on the service was the revival of Ben Edlund’s The Tick, and since then, they’ve delivered major hits including Batman: The Caped Crusader and Invincible. Center to it all, though, is The Boys and the “Vought Cinematic Universe,” which will roll out yet another spinoff next year (even though The Boys itself wrapped up its five-season run just this week).
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Prime Video is wasting no time in continuing to flesh out its presence in this space, though, and next week will deliver, maybe their most unique superhero show to date, Spider-Noir. A live-action spinoff of the Spider-Verse movies, the series stars Nicolas Cage as the titular film noir-inspired version of Marvel’s favorite webslinging hero. The series will premiere next week, and the first reviews have officially made their way online. The early word on Spider-Noir is good, too, indicating Prime Video’s next hit is already in their hands.
Spider-Noir Is a Certified Hit on Rotten Tomatoes
As of this writing, and with 24 total reviews posted for the series, Spider-Noir currently boasts a “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes of 88%, which is impressive on its own, but especially when considering the crowded superhero TV show market. ComicBook’s own Simon Gallagher calls the series “a very clever gimmick done well that proves there’s life to Spider-Man outside of the MCU,” but acknowledged the wish that “it went a tiny bit further and wilder, but it’s a bold swing lovingly capturing noir references.”
Simply Cinema awarded the series a 9 out of 10, calling it the “slickest, coolest Spider yet,” while Collider was quick to note that Spider-Noir “may not be for everyone, especially for hardcore comic fans expecting something much grittier, but it’s also hard to deny that Spider-Noir is just a heck of a lot of fun.” SlashFilm also gave the series a 9 out of 10, noting that the thing that worked for Marvel’s “Noir” comic books is in full effect in the TV show as well, adding that it’s “one of the most exciting and creatively fertile superhero works to be released in the last couple years, and while it may be a bit batty, I think it’s the bee’s knees.”
Not everyone was convinced, of course. One of the few “rotten” reviews comes via The AV Club, which still gave the series a mixed “C-” score, noting that “The best you can say about Spider-Noir is that it’s a noble, but ultimately failed experiment.” Some of the Hollywood Trades were also not as forgiving, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it “frustratingly dull” and Variety saying the series is “all style and very little substance.”
As noted above, though, Spider-Noir does still have a high score despite a few pans. By comparison, the latest season of The Boys holds a 93% approval rating (at least, before the finale debuted) while Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has an 86% approval rating. Compared to the Spider-Man films, Spider-Noir fails to meet the mark of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with its impressive 97%, or even Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s 93%. That said, it does clear the scores of the Amazing Spider-Man movies (71% and 51%, respectively) as well as Spider-Man 3‘s 62%.
Spider-Noir has an unconventional release schedule planned, with all eight episodes of the show set to begin streaming on MGM+ on Monday, May 25, with the entire season then debuting on Prime Video two days later, Wednesday, May 27.
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