While one of his next projects is set to hit theaters later this week,Brendan Gleesonis hyping up an upcoming series that superhero fans can’t wait to see. While speaking toVarietyon the red carpet to promoteJoker: Folie á Deux, Gleeson provided an update on the upcoming live-actionSpider-Noirseries.Gleeson will star as the feature villain inSpider-Noir, alongsideNicolas Cage, who will reprise his role as the Nazi-punching Spider-Man who first made his debut inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Amazon has been announcingcasting updates for the series over the last several weeks, but unlike other Marvel stars who close up at the first sign of questions, Gleeson had no problem talking about his role inSpider-Noir. When asked what it was like to work with Cage in the series, Gleeson had this to say:
“It was brief because it was just at a reading, but it was nice because it was enough to say ‘Yeah, that’s exactly who I thought it’d be.’ He’s great, he’s really great, and I can’t wait to get going. I’ve shot one thing and it wasn’t a scene with him yet, but that’s all to come so I’m looking forward to it.”
Since Gleeson has filmed a scene forSpider-Noir, but not a scene with Cage’s titular hero, it’s possible that he may have already filmed part of his villain’s origin story. Details about the series as a whole and most characters are being kept under wraps, butSpider-Noirwill have some heavy world-building and character-establishing work to do, with the film only being tangentially related toInto the Spider-Verse. Gleeson and Cage willstar alongside Lamorne Morris in Spider-Noir, who is best known for his role as Winston inNew Girl.Li Jun Li, who recently starred alongsideMargot RobbieinBabylon, has also been tapped for a role inSpider-Noir, withAbraham Popoola,Whitney Rice,Karen Rodriguez,Jack Huston,Amanda Schull,Lukas Haas,Cameron Britton,Scoot MacArthur,Michael Kostroff,Joe Massingill, andCary Christopherall set for supporting roles in the show.
Brendan Gleeson Teases His Villain as a “Philosopher” in ‘Spider-Noir’
In addition to speaking about working with Cage, Gleeson also talked to Variety about his role in the show. Although it’s been confirmed that he’s playing the feature villain to Cage’s Spider-Man Noir, few specifics about his character had been made available through previous reporting or fromAmazon. While Gleeson didn’t give away the store, he did provide a tease as to what fans can expect from his antagonist:
“I think of him as more of a philosopher, he has kind of a drone-eye view of things, but he can be equally dangerous.”
It sounds like Gleeson’s villain will be a blend of brains and brawn, which, when combined with his performance, could very well make for a memorable comic book villain portrayal. With marketing forJoker 2coming to a close and oneSpider-Noirscene under his belt already,Gleeson may be about to enter the Spider-Versefor the next few months as filming commences on the upcoming Amazon series.
Spider-Noirdoes not yet have an official release date. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and find tickets below to seeGleeson inJoker: Folie á Deux.
Spider-Noir (2025)
Spider-Noir features a black suit and mask-donning version of Spider-Man who battles the criminal underworld led by Norman Osborn and his gang. Parker seeks to avenge his uncle’s death and combat corruption, aided by allies like Felicia Hardy and FBI agent Jean de Wolfe.
