Spider-Man has been swinging around on film for 16 years now, but this year marks the first time that we're being treated to Spider-Men on the big screen. Although Miles Morales is the main protagonist of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we've known for a while that an older Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man, from another reality will be mentoring Miles in the animated movie, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Among the many other Spider-heroes showing up during Into the Spider-Verse is Spider-Man Noir, a 1930s-themed version of Peter Parker being voiced by Nicolas Cage. Given the time period this particular Spider-Man hails from, Cage opted to base the character on go and a few other notable actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Cage explained:
There are multiple Spider-Men in different dimensions that are kind of colliding together. My character's Spider-Man Noir. He's really Peter Parker from the '30s. I tried to channel those noir films with [Humphrey] Bogart, and have those kinds of sounds that he might make with [James] Cagney, or Edward G. Robinson, that kind of way of talking. I tried to give the character that. It was a lot of fun. I think it should be quite funny. The movie definitely has a sense of humor, and that's a good thing because it's good for the whole family.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse marks Nicolas Cage's second superhero movie role this year, as he voiced Superman in Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, two decades after he was supposed to play the Man of Steel in live action. But for Into the Spider-Verse, as Cage told EW, he decided to have fun with the role by channeling Humphrey Bogart and A-list actors from nearly a century ago. It may not sound like the most natural way to talk, but since this version of Peter Parker is fighting crime during the Great Depression, Cage can get away with making the hero sound like Bogart in The Maltese Falcon or Cagney in The Public Enemy. (Does this mean Spider-Man Noir will be ending a lot of his sentences with 'see'?) Look, it's not like Cage has a lot of opportunities to break out this dated way of talking, so if an animated superhero movie offers him the opportunity to do so, then he should take it. Plus, the young moviegoers who've never heard of Bogart can get their first "exposure" to one of Hollywood's greatest talents.
Along with Spider-Man Noir, other Spider-heroes confirmed to appear in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse include Spider-Gwen, Peni Parker and Spider-Ham. However, the main hook of the story is Miles Morales beginning his superhero journey while balancing his high school life. Fortunately, he has an experienced Spider-Man to mentor him, and together they'll face off against The Prowler, Kingpin and The Green Goblin.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse spins its web in theaters on December 14, and if you're interested in what other movies are coming out later this year, head to our 2018 release schedule.
