When Nicolas Cage suits up in ‘Spider-Noir’, fans are expecting trench coats, shadows, and hard-boiled monologues, not necessarily one of Spider-Man’s most divisive comic arcs.
However, there is an emerging theory that the show might bring back the Clone Saga to live-action, quietly, and with it, the notorious Jackal.
Nicolas Cage’s ‘Spider-Noir’ Could Be A Clone
Cage’s character is Ben Reilly, a name that is too specific to be a coincidence. Ben Reilly is not just an alias in Marvel Comics. He is a clone of Peter Parker, made by Dr. Miles Warren, the Jackal. And should that relationship be true, the Prime Video show is possibly establishing something much larger than a mere noir detective narrative.
Related: ‘Spider-Noir’ Brings A Familiar Spider-Man Enemy Back Into The Shadow
The Jackal was initially introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man comics as a professor at Empire State University by the name Dr. Miles Warren. Marvel disclosed years after his introduction that Warren went mad after Gwen Stacy’s death. His twisted solution? To clone both Gwen and Peter for a twisted revenge scheme.
That plot led to the infamous Clone Saga, one of the most divisive periods in the history of Spider-Man. Critics claimed that Warren’s motivations were in a hurry, and the fact that he had a secret obsession with Gwen came out as awkward and unmerited to many readers. Nevertheless, despite all the criticism, the saga made a permanent impression, particularly with Ben Reilly’s birth, who would later become the Scarlet Spider. It’s messy. It’s controversial. And that makes it interesting.
The Jackal Could Be The Real Mastermind In ‘Spider-Noir’
Spider-Noir’s trailer hints at a weird, perhaps mutated form of Cage’s character. It’s a visual that recalls the unsuccessful clone experiments of the comics. When the show is leaning towards the notion that Ben Reilly is not the original Spider-Man, then the inclusion of the Jackal is virtually inevitable.
In case you missed it: Nicolas Cage’s Spider Isn’t Peter Parker In ‘Spider-Noir’ And That’s The Point
Whether as a shadowy puppet master, a figure from the past revealed in flashbacks, or even the true architect of the story’s central mystery, Dr. Miles Warren could be the missing piece. Silvermane and other villains might offer superficial dangers, but the emotional heart might be identity, the question of whether this Spider-Man is the real or fake one.
That is strong noir territory. After all, what is more existential than a detective doubting his own origin? Should ‘Spider-Noir’ have the audacity to remake the Clone Saga, it would not be a simple re-examination of a controversial chapter. It may at last redeem it, but in black and white.
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