Spider-Man’s Most Divisive Comic Arc Is Swinging Into Live-Action, and It’s Bringing Double Trouble

Few storylines in the wall-crawler’s history stir up arguments quite like the Spider-Man Clone Saga. The storyline ran for 2 years in the comics back in the mid-’90s and saw Peter Parker replaced as Spider-Man by his own clone, Ben Reilly. For plenty of longtime readers, just hearing the name is enough to spark a heated debate.

Part of that reputation comes from its boldest swing. Writers briefly declared Ben Reilly to be the real Peter Parker and the original Spider-Man to be the clone, a twist that caused a massive fan backlash before it was undone. The arc started out selling well, but it stretched on for months as Marvel kept adding clones and flip-flopping on whether Ben was actually the real Peter.

That history makes the latest move from Amazon and Sony all the more surprising. In an exclusive report, Deadline revealed that Prime Video is nearing an order for a new series in Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters, drawn from the second Clone Saga arc and centered on 2 Spider-Man clones, Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker. ‘American Born Chinese’ creator Kelvin Yu is writing the project.

For newcomers, the pair couldn’t be more different. In the comics, Ben is the successful, stable clone who adopts his own superhero identity as the Scarlet Spider, while Kaine is Spider-Man’s flawed first copy. Kaine was created by the Jackal but deteriorated because of a flaw in the cloning process, leaving him mentally unstable.

The shape of the live-action story is still up in the air. Deadline’s report includes conflicting accounts, with some sources saying the show will follow Ben and Kaine as they come to terms with being clones while facing other clones, and others suggesting the series could rework their clone origins and give them new identities entirely. One possible adversary is Spidercide, an evil clone of Peter Parker from the comics.

The timing is notable. The report arrived less than a month after Prime Video canceled ‘Spider-Noir,’ starring Nicolas Cage, after 1 season, and Cage played a film noir take on Ben Reilly in that show. ‘Spider-Noir’ still went on to win 5 Creative Arts Emmys despite the cancellation.

That overlap raises obvious questions about continuity. This new series is expected to feature a different version of Ben Reilly, though many details remain unclear, including who will run the show and how it will handle the existence of another Ben Reilly in Sony’s tangled continuity.

A Brand New Day starts now.

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— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 18, 2026

Behind the scenes, this project emerged from a crowded field. The Ankler had reported that 4 unannounced series were in contention to move forward, and Yu’s project was among them, meaning it may not be the only one ordered. Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller are expected to executive produce alongside Yu, and if greenlit, the show would premiere on MGM+ before streaming on Prime Video.

Yu brings an interesting résumé to the table. Besides creating ‘American Born Chinese,’ he has also written for ‘Bob’s Burgers.’ ‘American Born Chinese’ was itself canceled after only 1 season, so both Yu and the streamer have something to prove here.

Unsurprisingly, the online reaction has been instant. Some fans are campaigning for Tom Holland to get involved, with several suggesting he play both Ben and Kaine. Dark Horizons noted that the Clone Saga is reportedly one of Holland’s favorite Spider-Man storylines.

For now, though, patience is required. There’s currently no development or release timeline for the series, and no casting news has surfaced. Prime Video has also yet to formally order the show, but Amazon and Sony are clearly still committed to finding a future for Spider-Man on television.

Whether this adaptation redeems one of comics’ most infamous arcs or repeats its mistakes, it’s certainly a gamble worth watching. Adapting the Clone Saga is a bold and risky bet for Sony and Amazon, and how Yu handles 2 very different Scarlet Spiders could define Sony’s small-screen plans for years.

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