Why is this Marvel series in black and white?

Forget the red and blue spandex and teenage high school jokes. This new Spider-Man is preparing to shake up all the codes of the superhero genre. On May 27, Prime Video will launch Spider-Blacka series worn by Nicolas Cage and which promises to be ultra retro.

Loin des blockbusters colorés de Marvel, Spider-Black plunges us into New York in the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression. Nicolas Cage plays an aging, cynical and slightly alcoholic private detective, who must face his past as the city’s only superhero. The atmosphere is heavy, sticky, directly inherited from the detective novels of the golden age of Hollywood.

The crazy bet of monochrome

It’s not so much the storyline but rather Amazon’s aesthetic choice that is setting the web on fire. Because to stick to this “film noir” atmosphere, the production has relied on a new concept: the series will be available in two versions. Viewers will be able to choose to watch it in a classic way or switch to a completely black and white version.

At a time when the public is saturated with blockbusters full of digital special effects and endless green backgrounds, this return to graphic purity is a rather daring bet. In any case, this gives the series an immediate artistic touch. A real strategy to stand out in the catalog of streaming platforms.

It remains to be seen whether the general public will follow Nicolas Cage on this retro journey… Answer at the end of the month!