Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Plot, Writer And More Details
For its first eight years in existence, there was a massive hole in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's hero roster. Sure, the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow were more than capable of holding down the fort, but fans couldn't help but hope for a certain marquee superhero to join them: Spider-Man. Thankfully, they got their wish in 2016 when Peter Parker made his introduction in "Captain America: Civil War," opening up a corner of the MCU that many have come to adore.
This take on the web-slinger is vastly different from previous ones. MCU moviegoers haven't seen how he got his powers, his earliest adventures, or the death of Uncle Ben, which goes against the grain of previous Spider-Man movies. Rather, the MCU dives straight into his evolution from part-time masked vigilante to full-on, world-saving hero who's willing to make sacrifices to protect the ones he loves.
But those still clamoring for an origin story haven't been left out: Animated series "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" is on its way to Disney+. This show will take MCU fans back to Peter Parker's early high school days, where he has his very first experiences as the one and only Spider-Man. Here's what we know about the project so far.
When will Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man be released?
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" was announced all the way back in November 2021, as part of the Disney+ Day event. Fans have been waiting patiently ever since. We have many questions about this highly anticipated series, but one hovers above the rest: When will "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" actually debut?
Currently, we don't have a concrete release date — but we do have a release window. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Marvel Studios announced that "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" will hit Disney+ in 2024. MCU scooper KC Walsh has narrowed it down even further to late 2024. While this should be taken with a grain of salt, it's worth paying attention to. Bottom line: "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" is coming sooner rather than later.
What is the plot of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" will explore what is pointedly left out of Peter Parker's silver screen outings: His early days as a costumed webslinger. Specifically, as Marvel puts it, "The animated series follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike [one] we've ever seen and a style that celebrates the character's early comic book roots."
Further details were revealed at 2022's San Diego Comic-Con. Foremost among them is the fact that this Peter Parker isn't the one we know from the MCU. He's still a brilliant kid with the power to scale New York City skyscrapers, but his friends, allies, mentors, and enemies are different. This Peter hangs out with Harry Osborn, Amadeus Cho, and Nico Minoru — names that Marvel Comics fans are already familiar with — rather than MJ and Ned. He faces previously unseen antagonists including the Unicorn and the Scorpion. And, perhaps most intriguingly of all, the grown-ups in his life are Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and Norman Osborn.
Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum clarified things in a 2022 interview with ComicBook.com. "['Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'] follows the pattern that you see in '[Captain America:] Civil War,'" Winderbaum explained, "down to Peter getting the broken Blu-ray player from the trash ... But because of things that happen in the multiverse because of new, random occurrences, it's not Tony Stark who's waiting for him there. It's Norman Osborn and that sends his life in an unexpected trajectory." We can't wait to see it.
Who is starring in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?
We don't yet know much regarding who will star in "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." However, some names have been revealed, and educated guesses can be made. First and foremost, we know the one and only Charlie Cox will portray Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. Considering Cox's Daredevil is becoming more and more prominent within the MCU, this is a major get. Paul F. Tompkins is also confirmed to be playing a new character named Bentley Wittman.
Beyond this, info is scarce. Rumors began to swirl in July 2022 that Tom Holland would not be portraying Peter Parker in the series. This isn't a huge surprise; as anyone who's watched MCU animated series "What If...?" knows, the franchise's movie stars haven't all shown up to reprise their roles on Disney+ cartoons. If we had to guess, we'd bet Hudson Thames, who plays Peter Parker on "What If...?" will portray the character on "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."
Who is writing, producing, and animating Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?
Jeff Trammell is the mastermind of "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man": He will serve as executive producer and head writer of the highly-anticipated series. He's hugely passionate about bringing Peter's early adventures to the big screen; as he told the crowd at 2022's San Diego Comic-Con, he spent his own early years watching Peter duke it out on the '90s "Spider-Man" animated series. "We are bringing all the heart and charm and fun of Peter Parker to this series," Trammell noted (via CBR), "and we couldn't be more excited for you guys to see it." His experience as a writer on "Craig of the Creek," "The Owl House," and "Amphibia" will doubtlessly help him succeed. MCU big shots Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum will also serve as executive producers.
We also know who will be animating "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." In July 2022, news broke that Japanese animation studio Polygon Pictures will be bringing the series' visuals to brilliant life. This is seriously exciting news: Polygon is the studio behind such animated projects as "Tron: Uprising," "Ajin: Demi-Human," and "Knights of Sidonia." Their cool, crisp, streamlined visuals are sure to suit the retro look "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" is going for.