The Boys Meets Batman In Prime Video's 8-Part Sci-Fi Series

Published Aug 30, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT

Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel. 

Prime Video has an 8-episode science fiction, action series that's a little like The Boys if Batman was a part of the universe. Prime Video is on the lookout for its next major hit after the end of The Boys. It's an end that could be total if The Boys prequel series does not end up working out.

For as popular a platform as Prime Video is, they haven't always had the easiest time creating great original TV shows. The ones they do nail are excellent, but many more are somewhat forgettable. With the end of arguably its most important TV show, it's not surprising that Prime wants a show in a similar register.

Spider-Noir could be the answer. A replacement for The Boys, and a dip into the always popular, sincere superhero genre. Based on the comic character of the same name, who is an alternate version of Peter Parker's more recognizable Spider-Man, Spider-Noir brings the webslinging story to New York City in the 1930s.

In this version of the story, Spider-Man is Ben Reilly, played by Nicolas Cage, who got his powers in the trenches of World War I. After the death of his fiancée, Ben hung up the mask to become a private detective. Five years later, a strange case compels Ben to once again don the Spidey suit to save the city.

This is a different version of Spider-Man than most fans will be used to seeing, not just because he's in black-and-white and referred to only as the "Spider". He's closer to Batman, with his penchant for detective work and grim outlook, but the series is closer to The Boys with its satirical bent.

Spider-Noir Presents A Different Kind Of Superhero Satire

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Spider-Noir does not take aim at the superhero genre in the same way as The Boys, which skewered the massive media franchises that have grown around it in the last two decades and played with how the genre bumps up against fascist ideas. It's still a satire of sorts, playing with the conventions of the genre.

It's a pulpy, quippy series and Cage can sling challenges and one-liners with the best of them. Spider-Noir revels in the inherent silliness of the genre, but doesn't apologize for it. Cage goes all out in this role, and his performance would not be unwelcome in an episode of The Boys, but because the world of Spider-Noir is a kinder one, Ben comes off as playful rather than sinister.

There's an unhinged quality to the show that The Boys loved to display, but the atmosphere never turns mean or vicious. The over-the-top acting and events are not treated as terrifying or hopeless by the rest of the characters. Spider-Noir wants to have fun in the strange world it's created, not attempt to make sense of it.

Spider-Noir Season 2 Is Still Up In The Air

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Despite the 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and the 11 Emmy nominations, Amazon has still not announced when or if there will be a Spider-Noir season 2. While season 1 has a definitive ending, with Ben getting a new lease on life, there are always plenty more stories to tell in any superhero story.

Spider-Noir's showrunner, Oren Uziel, has suggested that the show could explore what happens to Ben and the Spider during World War II. There are lots of directions the show could go in, and if Prime Video is hoping to replace The Boys as their flagship series, they can do a lot worse than Spider-Noir​​​​​.

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  Ben Reilly / The Spider

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  Lamorne Morris

  Robbie Robertson

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