Spider-Noir Cancelled Despite Leading Emmy Nominations
Get series picks based on this article
Want another acclaimed show worth catching before it's gone? Skip the quiz and jump straight to picks built for that.
Get series picksTell us your mood. We'll do the picking.
8 quick questions. Real series picks from real catalogs — not ads. Free, no sign-up.
Take the quizWhat was Spider-Noir actually about?
Ben Reilly, played by Nicolas Cage, a down-on-his-luck private investigator in 1930s New York dealing with severe past wartime trauma, is forced to confront his past life as the city's one and only superhero. The series is set in a completely separate universe from the animated Spider-Verse films, despite Cage reprising the same character he voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
How did the show actually release, and why did that matter?
Genuinely distinctively. All eight episodes premiered domestically on the linear MGM+ channel on Monday, May 25, 2026, before becoming available to stream on Prime Video the very next day, May 26, with viewers able to choose between a full-color version or an "authentic black and white" version specifically designed to match classic noir film aesthetics, a stylistic choice built directly into the show's marketing and identity from the start.
Who else was in the cast alongside Cage?
Lamorne Morris, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, Abraham Popoola, Jack Huston, and Brendan Gleeson co-starred, with Popoola playing Lonnie Lincoln, known as Tombstone, a ruthless World War I veteran fighting his way to the top of Manhattan's criminal underworld.
Who created the show, and what's their broader creative pedigree?
Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot served as co-showrunners, developing the series alongside Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative team behind the animated Spider-Verse trilogy, through their Lord Miller banner, with Amy Pascal also executive producing via Pascal Pictures.
Why does this cancellation genuinely surprise people given the show's critical and awards reception?
Because the show was heading into Emmy weekend with 11 nominations, genuinely the most of any Prime Video series this year, alongside a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 90% audience "popcornmeter" score, a combination of critical acclaim and awards recognition that would typically support renewal rather than cancellation.
Did the show actually perform well commercially, based on available viewership data?
Yes, genuinely strongly. According to Nielsen's streaming content ratings, the series earned 2.6 billion viewing minutes in its first six weeks, a substantial number that makes the cancellation decision genuinely harder to explain purely on viewership grounds alone.
Is this Amazon's first project from its broader deal to adapt Sony's Marvel characters?
Yes, genuinely the first release under that specific arrangement, which covers more than 900 Marvel characters associated with the Spider-Man franchise that Sony controls. The originally planned first project, Silk: Spider Society with Angela Kang as showrunner, was scrapped before production, making Spider-Noir the actual inaugural release from the partnership instead.
Is Amazon still committed to developing more shows from this same Sony Marvel partnership despite cancelling Spider-Noir?
Yes, genuinely, according to Variety's reporting, Amazon is developing additional series within this arrangement, with a second project already reportedly in development and expected to be announced soon, suggesting the cancellation reflects a decision about this specific show rather than an end to the broader creative partnership itself.
Was there a genuinely unusual angle to how the show was submitted for Emmy consideration?
Yes, genuinely notable, Spider-Noir was submitted in the "Comedy" award categories despite Amazon's own official listing placing the show in action, drama, and suspense genres, a submission choice that surprised some observers given the series' genuinely serious, often sinister tone in its actual trailers and content.
Frequently asked questions
Has Spider-Noir been cancelled? Yes, Amazon confirmed the decision not to renew the series for a second season.
How many Emmy nominations did Spider-Noir receive? 11 nominations, the most of any Prime Video series in 2026.
When did Spider-Noir originally premiere? May 25, 2026, on the linear MGM+ channel, streaming on Prime Video the following day.
Is Amazon still developing other shows from its Sony Marvel characters deal? Yes, a second project from that partnership is reportedly already in development.
Want something else to watch in this genre?
Our series recommendation quiz can help you find something similar to check out.