Why Nicolas Cage's Ben Reilly Isn't Called Spider-Man In Spider-Noir

Contains spoilers for "Spider-Noir" Season 1, Episode 1

He says it right in his opening monologue: Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage) is The Spider in "Spider-Noir," not Spider-Man or any other version of that character. Why does that crucial difference exist? To separate a youthful, dewy, and usually teenaged Peter Parker from the well-seasoned Ben — and because it harkens back to Golden Age comic book and radio characters like "The Shadow."

"Peter Parker feels very synonymous with a high school kid. Boyish. On his way up," "Spider-Noir" showrunner Oren Uziel explained to Esquire. Uziel explains that they picked the named Ben to differentiate the character from Parker because he's grizzled and middle-aged. Producer Chris Miller confirmed this decision, adding, "[t]his character's very different from the Peter Parker from the movies. He's older and jaded, and not afraid to punch a guy in the face drunkenly."

It turns out there's a reason that the creative team named The Spider Ben Reilly, and they're not telling why. "I have to be coy about the reasons, because you'll find out," producer Phil Lord told Esquire. "The reason he's named Ben Riley is explained," Chris Miller said. "We'll leave it at that."

The name Ben, naturally, has a completely different connotation to Spider-Man fans everywhere: Peter's oft-murdered Uncle Ben Parker was the one who helped raise him, after all. His death serves as a catalyst towards Spider-Man becoming the great superhero he is. On top of that, other versions of Ben Reilly exist in the Marvel Comics world — in some of them, Ben is known as the Scarlet Spider, and he's a clone of Peter Parker. Will this version of Ben have a connection to Peter Parker? Or are the producers tossing out red herrings to bedazzle their viewers? Fans will have to watch "Spider-Noir" to find out.