Shock cancellation: Why one of this year’s biggest TV shows won’t be getting a S2

The series was nominated for 11 Emmys.

A live-action series spin-off of the Oscar-winning animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Noir was released at the end of May. Its story follows Ben Reilly (Cage), who once operated as New York City's one and only superhero, the masked vigilante The Spider.

He retired from crimefighting, however, after a deeply personal tragedy. Now, Reilly works as a private investigator. Older, jaded and trying to lay low, he finds himself drawn back to his past life after he takes on a case involving "mobsters, monsters and a femme fatale".

Gleeson, meanwhile, plays Finn Byrne, an Irish mob boss with connections to Reilly's past who has been the target of multiple assassination attempts.

Why was Spider-Noir so acclaimed?

Spider-Noir was directed in part by Harry Bradbeer (Enola Holmes, Fleabag), with Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (The Punisher) serving as co-showrunners.

Uziel and Lightfoot developed the eight-part show with the Academy Award-winning team behind Project Hail Mary and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Alongside Cage and Gleeson, the cast of Spider-Noir includes Cameron Britton (Mindhunter), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Li Jun Li (Babylon), and Lukas Haas (Witness).

What was also noteworthy about Spider-Noir is that Prime Video has released the series in two versions: 'Authentic Black & White', à la the old noir films the show is paying homage to, or 'True-Hue Full Colour'.

For what it's worth, the streaming service encouraged critics to watch one episode in each format to enjoy the full experience.

Praised for its performances, style and ambition, Spider-Noir currently holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score. It also racked up 11 nominations at the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards, the most of any Prime Show this year.

Why was Spider-Noir cancelled?

Despite the acclaim, several top US entertainment outlets are reporting that Spider-Noir will not be getting a season two.

Deadline has speculated that the "respectable but not outsized viewership... coupled with the high cost for the lavish production" may have been a reason for the decision.

While Prime Video has not confirmed the production budget, unconfirmed estimates online range from $150 million to as high as $400 million.

If the latter is true, this means the show cost $50 million per episode.