Why Prime Video’s Spider-Man TV Series Won’t Star Peter Parker

A new Spider-Man series is coming to Prime Video, but it won’t feature the usual hero, Peter Parker. While characters like Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy have gained popularity, this show will focus on a different webslinger: Ben Reilly, a clone of Peter Parker, and will be played by Nicolas Cage.

According to Esquire, the show will pair Spider-Noir with Ben Reilly rather than Peter Parker because of the show’s noir style and the distinct personalities of the two characters. Showrunner Oren Uziel explained that these differences were key to the decision.

Uziel explained that Peter Parker embodies the typical high school experience – young and ambitious. Therefore, they decided to feature Spider-Man’s darker, more cynical clone, the Scarlet Spider.

This version of Spider-Man is a far cry from the one audiences are used to seeing in films. According to producer Chris Miller, he’s older, more cynical, and isn’t hesitant to resort to violence, even when intoxicated. Producer Phil Lord explained that this Peter Parker has already experienced a major, disillusioning event – something akin to the events in Chinatown – but it happened a long time ago.

As a big Ben Reilly fan, I was really intrigued to hear that the writers are exploring how he’s dealing with everything that’s happened to him. Apparently, he’s already lived through a whole life cycle and is trying to move on, but his history just won’t let him! It’s not just the same old stuff either – they’re showing us a side of his past we haven’t seen before, which is super exciting.

The upcoming Spider-Noir series will reveal why Ben Reilly, and not Peter Parker, is the main character. While staying tight-lipped about the specifics, those involved promise the reason for this choice—and why he’s called Ben Reilly—will be explained in the show.

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2026-02-10 21:07