Nicolas Cage has a watchlist of classic Hollywood genres to share. The actor, while discussing his upcoming Spider-Noir series, spoke about his love for films and recommended some must-watch noir titles for Gen Z audiences, ranging from films featuring Humphrey Bogart to Casablanca. Cage also said he hopes Spider-Noir finds a younger audience in black and white, because the visual style is vital to the tone, mystery, and emotional core of the story. 

As he reflected on Spider-Noir, Nicolas Cage also looked back at the classic noir films that first sparked his love for the genre.

Nicolas Cage recently sat down with Complex News’ Mami Tiff to discuss his role as Ben Reilly. When asked what his film recommendations for Gen Z, who are not used to the genre, would be, Cage mentioned several noir classics that helped shape his own love for movies.  He cited movies such as The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, The Lady from Shanghai, and The Third Man, in particular, that helped him create his method for portraying a noir character.

“I think the ones I was tapping into the most were some of the early Bogart films like The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and The Big Sleep, but also others like Double Indemnity with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck,” he said. 

When asked what made Spider-Noir feel special, Cage said he had been waiting for something that felt really new and different, especially on TV. He further said that he got really lucky with Spider-Noir. In the end, what attracted Cage to the project was that the series resonated with some of his more abstract notions about performance and what can still be mined through acting. 

For context, Spider-Noir is a live-action series that stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly. Reilly is an aging, hard-boiled private eye in 1930s New York, dealing with his past as a superhero. The eight-part series is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and MGM+. 

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The series re-imagines the Spider-Man universe through a darker, noir-inspired lens.

Spider-Noir is the story of an old-school private eye working the dark alleys of 1930s New York. There, crime, corruption, and power run the streets. Haunted by his past and drawn into new and dangerous cases, he finds himself confronting the city’s underbelly and the burden of who he once was.

With the moody noir-ish backdrop, the plot blends detective mystery with superhero drama. The masked vigilante faces betrayal, violence, and moral conflict. Spider-Noir flips the Spider-Man universe on its head with a darker, more atmospheric black and white, pulp-inspired tone.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Cage gave more than just a glimpse of Spider-Noir through the interview. He gave fans a glimpse into the movies that helped shape his love of noir and the creative concepts that drew him to the project to begin with. From recommending classic titles to Gen Z to reflecting on performance, style, and storytelling, Cage made it clear that Spider-Noir is a personal and artistic passion project for him.  

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Could Spider-Noir become Nicolas Cage’s most unexpected noir performance yet? Let us know in the comments.