Nicolas Cage is BACK in the Noir and we're already hooked. Sarah and Will break down Spider-Noir Episode 1 "Step My Office," Marvel's live-action series starring Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, a 1930s Spider-Man navigating Depression-era New York crime noir. Then we flip to a galaxy far, far away: the Mandalorian and Grogu movie just hit theaters. Epic Star Wars adventure, or just a long Mandalorian episode in a tuxedo? Plus a quick X-Men 97 Season 2 trailer reaction. 🕷️ SPIDER-NOIR S1E1: BEN REILLY IS NOT PETER PARKER Five years ago, Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage) put away the mask after losing his fiancée, Ruby. But Depression-era New York has other plans. We break down the femme fatale setup, Flint Marco's emergence as Sandman, the broken Spider-Sense wrinkle, and what the show's interweaving mysteries signal for the rest of Season 1. One fresh take: the quote at the top "Am I an extraordinary man? Am I an ordinary man? I'm both, neither, aren't we all?" is the whole thesis of Ben Reilly in one breath. ⭐ THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU MOVIE FUN BUT... Din Djarin and Grogu on the big screen. Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, a Martin Scorsese cameo, and Grogu puppetry that WORKS. We debate the arena fight tropes, the water snake editing gaffe, the legacy-and-fathers-and-sons themes that stay surface-level, and whether this franchise still has anywhere new to take Mando's story. 🎬 X-MEN 97 SEASON 2 TRAILER REACTION We may or may not be bumping Invincible. (Blame Will.) Scene N Nerd is a pop culture podcast covering sci-fi, Marvel, DC, and genre TV through a hardcore fan and a casual viewer, always real. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro: The Summer of Marvel 0:33 X-Men 97 Season 2 trailer first take 2:00 Spider-Noir S1E1 "Step My Office" review begins 2:22 Black & White vs. Color: which version should you watch? 5:14 Sarah's first impressions of Episode 1 7:14 Ben Reilly's origin: Ruby, the mask, and the grief 8:22 Flint Marco / Sandman enters the story 9:00 Ben Reilly vs. Peter Parker: who IS Spider-Man Noir here? 10:22 Cat Hardy, femme fatale, and the mysteries being set up 12:46 —Addison, Donegal, and the web of intrigue 15:27 Ben's broken Spider-Sense explained 17:00 Sarah's final verdict on Episode 1 21:47 Sarah's sidebar: Off Campus on Amazon 27:19 Mandalorian & Grogu movie full review begins 29:35 "It's Star Wars made for kids" Sarah's take 33:28 CGI vs. practical effects debate 35:00 The water snake sequence: the editing problem 38:37 The writing decline of The Mandalorian 41:00 Grogu + Rotta the Hutt moments 44:28 Sigourney Weaver: From Ripley to Star Wars 46:47 Outro / Where to find us Want to keep the conversation going? Hit us up on X (formerly Twitter) @SceneNNerd, Bluesky @SceneNNerd.bsky.social, Facebook, Instagram @scene_n_nerd, and Threads @scene_n_nerd. Don't forget to check out our website at www.scenennerdpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this episode, drop us a rating and a shout-out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast fix!