Should you watch Spider-Noir in black and white or colour?

by

Okay, so I was really excited to hear Nicolas Cage is finally doing a TV show, and it’s Spider-Noir! It’s cool because he’s bringing back that version of Spider-Man he voiced in those amazing Spider-Verse movies – you know, the black and white, detective-style one? It’s not a direct copy, but it definitely feels connected, and I’m all about it.

Ben Reilly, known professionally as Cage, is a private investigator working in 1930s New York City. He used to fight crime as a masked hero called The Spider, but a painful event led him to give up that life.

The eight-part series follows Ben as he gets caught up in a risky plot involving the powerful crime boss Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) and a new wave of criminals with superhuman abilities.

Spider-Noir’s visuals are inspired by classic film noir, so it was filmed in black and white to capture the look of old Hollywood movies. However, Prime Video also provides a color version to appeal to viewers who prefer a more modern style.

Should you watch Spider-Noir in black and white or colour?

TopMob suggests enjoying Spider-Noir in its original black and white format, available on Prime Video in the UK and MGM+ in the US.

The series was intentionally filmed in black and white, and this choice really shines through in the final episodes. They’re much more impactful when viewed in monochrome than when artificially colorized.

Some scenes were intentionally filmed for black and white, which greatly enhances the film’s tribute to classic Hollywood. It even captures the look and feel of those older films with remarkable accuracy.

While the colorized version of the show has some bright spots, with the digital coloring occasionally creating striking visuals, it mostly diminishes Spider-Noir’s unique and defining character.

Still not convinced? Nicolas Cage and Li Jun Li, who voice characters in Spider-Noir, have said they also like the black and white version of the show, but they agree it’s enjoyable in color too.

Cage explained that the show was filmed specifically to look good in black and white, both in terms of his acting and the way it was shot. But they also prepared for the possibility of adding color later, aiming for a visual style reminiscent of paintings by Edward Hopper.

Li said they’re delighted and grateful that fans of Spider-Noir are so enthusiastic about the show being in black and white, as that was always the intended visual style.

Our director of photography, Darran Tiernan, put a lot of effort into giving the film a classic, dark, and moody look using the camera and lighting. I can’t wait for audiences to see how beautiful his work is.

She also mentioned that the series includes many subtle visual references that film lovers are sure to enjoy.

Want to see this content?

This page uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA. Before it loads, we need your permission because reCAPTCHA might use cookies. If you want to see the content, please select ‘Accept and continue’ to enable reCAPTCHA.

Don’t miss Spider-Noir! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about scripted drama and comedy for TopMob, covering both television and streaming shows. Before joining TopMob, he worked at Starburst Magazine and hosted The Winter King Podcast on ITVX. He’s a journalism graduate from the University of Sheffield.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-05-25 10:36