Watching Spider-Noir in Black and White vs Color: The differences you should know

Spider-Noir marks an interesting turn in Spider-Man adaptations, as it is the first live-action Spider-Man show in decades. However, what makes this MGM+/Prime Video series unique is that you can watch this series in two distinct ways. Firstly, there is the “Authentic Black & White” version and the “True-Hue Full Color” one.

As the names of the two different versions suggest, they allow you to watch the Spider-Man series in both color and black and white. This has viewers wonder if they should watch Spider-Noir in black and white or color.

Should you watch Spider-Noir in Black and White or Color?

One of the most common ways that viewers have watched the series is they first binged the “Authentic Black & White” version and then rewatched it in “True-Hue Full Color” form. What makes the “Authentic Black & White” version special is that it echoes with the vibe of this particular Spider-Man variant. It also harkens back to the way this variant was described in 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

When Esquire asked Nicolas Cage back in February about the two different versions, he answered:

“The truth is, they both work and they're beautiful for different reasons. The color is super saturated and gorgeous. I think teenage viewers will appreciate the color, but I also want them to have the option. If they want to experience the concept in black and white, maybe that would instill some interest in them to look at earlier movies and enjoy that as an art form as well.”

Therefore, based on what Cage said early this year and what Lamorne Morris told CinemaBlend recently, it seems that the production design team of Spider-Noir intentionally designed the series to make people watch the series not once, but twice in two different versions.

Why should you consider watching the series in both versions?

It is clear from the marketing materials, like the trailers, that both black-and-white and color versions offer something new. The black-and-white version matches the vibe and noir setting of the series. Cage told IGN that he hoped that his performance would push young viewers to seek classic black-and-white movies from a century ago:

“So the dream is they (teenagers) watch it in color, and then they check it out in black and white and learn something, and then maybe go, ‘Hey, I want to see some of these movie references.’ And then they open a treasure trove of wealth, of the great American cinema. That’s the dream. I hope that happens.”

But Spider-Noir's “True-Hue Full Color” version offers you a chance to notice some interesting details that are noticeable only in color. For instance, The Spider's (this show's wall-crawler is not called Spider-Man) webbing is black and doesn't follow the usual webbing pattern that's associated with the Web-Head. This sentiment is something Lamorne Morris echoed in the recent CinemaBlend interview:

"I think both. I think you have to start in black and white. You can focus on the story more and you can, you get the real noir feel and ingested the way I think we've always ingested television. And then you switch over to color so you can have a different exposure to it."

Morris then continued:

"Like you said, you start to notice the costumes and, and the cars and, and what people are wearing and the gold and things like that. And then you learn to appreciate it more. So yeah, I would say you have to do it in both."

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You can catch both versions of Spider-Noir on Prime Video.

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