Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

In today's world, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has become a topic of great importance and interest to a wide variety of people. Whether we are talking about a person's daily life, a current topic, or a historical event, it is impossible to ignore the relevance and influence that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has on our lives. In this article, we will explore in detail the different aspects related to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, analyzing its impact on society, its evolution over time and the implications it has for the future. From its importance on a personal level to its influence on a global level, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a topic that deserves our attention and reflection.

This article is about the animated television series. For the comic book series, see Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Genre
Created byJeff Trammell
Based onMarvel Comics
ShowrunnerJeff Trammell
Starring
Music by
Opening theme"Neighbor Like Me"
by The Math Club feat. Relaye & Melo Makes Music
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Danielle Costa
  • Tim Pauer
AnimatorRick Glenn
Editors
  • Alexander Wu
  • Hannah Long
Running time29–33 minutes
Production companyMarvel Studios Animation
Original release
NetworkDisney+
ReleaseJanuary 29, 2025 (2025-01-29) –
present
Related
Marvel Cinematic Universe television series

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is an American animated television series created by Jeff Trammell for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It is the 12th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Marvel Studios and is produced by Marvel Studios Animation. The series explores Peter Parker's origin story and early days as Spider-Man, and is set in an alternate timeline from the main films and television series of the MCU where Norman Osborn becomes Peter's mentor instead of Tony Stark. Trammell serves as showrunner and head writer, with Mel Zwyer as supervising director.

Hudson Thames voices Peter Parker / Spider-Man, reprising his role from the Marvel Studios animated series What If...? (2021–2024), with Kari Wahlgren, Grace Song, Eugene Byrd, Zeno Robinson, Colman Domingo, Hugh Dancy, and Charlie Cox also starring. Disney+ announced the series as Spider-Man: Freshman Year in November 2021, with Trammell attached. It was originally intended to be set in the main MCU continuity but the creative team found this too restrictive and decided to move it to an alternate timeline, allowing the series to explore familiar ideas and characters in new ways. It was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by December 2023. The 3D cel-shaded animation pays homage to the art style of early The Amazing Spider-Man comic books by Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr., with animation provided by Polygon Pictures and CGCG, Inc.

The first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premiered with its first two episodes on Disney+ on January 29, 2025, with the remaining episodes released in groups until February 19, as part of Phase Five of the MCU. The second season is expected to premiere in 2026, as part of Phase Six. A third season is in development.

Premise

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man explores Peter Parker's origin story and early days using the Spider-Man persona. The series is set in an alternate timeline within the multiverse,[1][2] where Peter gains his abilities through a temporal paradox caused by Dr. Stephen Strange time-traveling while he is fighting a symbiotic alien.[3] Another change in this universe is that Norman Osborn becomes Peter's mentor instead of Tony Stark, as happens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) main timeline.[1][2]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

The character Gwen Stacy / Spider-Gwen is set to appear in the second season.[31]

Episodes

Season 1 (2025)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Amazing Fantasy"Mel ZwyerJeff TrammellJanuary 29, 2025 (2025-01-29)
On Peter Parker's first day at Midtown High School, sorcerer Stephen Strange emerges from a portal fighting a symbiotic alien. Peter rescues another freshman, Nico Minoru, from the alien. He falls unconscious after being bitten by a spider that also emerged from the portal. Several months later, Peter has developed spider-like abilities and is secretly operating as the vigilante Spider-Man. Due to the destruction of Midtown High caused by Strange's fight with the alien, Peter and Nico—now best friends—are attending Rockford T. Bales High School which does not have the advanced courses and technology that Peter was excited for at Midtown. Also attending Bales are Peter's childhood crush Pearl Pangan and her new boyfriend, football team captain Lonnie Lincoln. On the way to school one day, Peter saves Harry Osborn from a group of thugs who livestream the interaction. Later, he stops two criminals on the run from the police and receives wider public attention. After school, Peter returns to the apartment he lives in with his widowed aunt May Parker and is greeted by businessman Norman Osborn.
2"The Parker Luck"Liza SingerCharlie NeunerJanuary 29, 2025 (2025-01-29)
Norman offers Peter an exclusive internship at his company, Oscorp, which Peter gladly accepts. The next day, he goes to Oscorp after school and meets fellow interns Jeanne Foucault, Asha, and Amadeus Cho. Peter is discouraged by the stern Bentley Wittman, a scientist who oversees the interns, but enjoys himself more after being assigned to work with scientist Carla Connors on an energy project. Peter misses the school's victory at a football game and is unable to join Nico when they are both invited to a party by Lonnie and Pearl. During a break in his work, Peter sees a news report about a building on fire and goes to investigate as Spider-Man. He finds an arsonist named Butane who has been hired to destroy a building with his high-tech flamethrowers as part of an insurance scam, though he is accidentally destroying the wrong building. Peter subdues Butane and notices a stylized infinity logo on his equipment. Arriving back at Oscorp later than he hoped, Peter is summoned to Norman's office. Norman shows Peter security footage of the latter putting on his Spider-Man suit.
3"Secret Identity Crisis"Stu LivingstonJeff TrammellFebruary 5, 2025 (2025-02-05)
Peter attempts to deny that he is Spider-Man, but Norman is not convinced. He invites Peter to a private dinner where he explains that he became intent on discovering Spider-Man's identity following the rescue of his son, Harry. Norman created the internship project as a pretense to assemble Jeanne, Asha, Amadeus, and Peter, the most likely candidates for young people who could have created Spider-Man's technology. Peter turns down Norman's offer of partnership, but continues the internship to help May pay her bills. When Lonnie's younger brother Andre joins the local 110th Street gang, Lonnie goes to the gang's headquarters to retrieve him. The gang's leader, Big Donovan, forces Lonnie to join the gang in return for allowing Andre to leave. Criminals Maria Vasquez and James Sanders obtain high-tech gloves and boots from a mysterious benefactor and rob a jewelry shop. Peter fights them and is outmaneuvered by their technology, until Norman contacts him to assist. After defeating the couple, Peter notices the same infinity logo on their technology. Peter accepts Norman's partnership offer.
4"Hitting the Big Time"Liza SingerCharlie NeunerFebruary 5, 2025 (2025-02-05)
The Avengers become fractured over the Sokovia Accords, a legislative act requiring superheroes to be registered and overseen. Norman believes he and Peter must step up to become the protectors of New York City and has Peter try on various new Oscorp-designed superhero suits. These yield mixed results until they settle on a suit closer to Peter's original Spider-Man design, though it is mostly white rather than the red and blue costume that Peter imagined. Big Donovan sends a reluctant Lonnie to get food for the 110th from a store that is in the territory of a rival gang, the Scorpions. Lonnie is threatened by some of the Scorpions, and when he returns Big Donovan explains that Lonnie and his family can now only be safe from the Scorpions if Lonnie is loyal to the 110th. Peter rescues some bystanders from a group of Russian bank robbers. When he returns to Oscorp, he accidentally reveals his identity to Harry. One of the Russians, Mila Masaryk, escapes with the money they stole and takes it to the benefactor that is creating high-tech gear for various criminals: Dr. Otto Octavius.
5"The Unicorn Unleashed!"Stu LivingstonJeff TrammellFebruary 5, 2025 (2025-02-05)
Octavius sells Mila a helmet that shoots lasers from the forehead and uses analysis to predict an opponent's movements. A former associate of Norman's, Octavius plans to make a name for himself with the wealth he has gained from selling his technology. Norman decides that, due to his busy schedule, it would be best for Harry to also be involved in the Spider-Man partnership. Mila, calling herself the Unicorn, helps her Russian cohorts escape prison. Harry directs Peter to stop them and he fights the group. Mila nearly kills Peter, but is stopped by her accomplice Mikhail Sytsevich after Peter saved his life when Mila used Mikhail as bait during the fight. Peter apprehends them both, and Mikhail vows revenge for his imprisonment despite Peter's heroics. Peter joins Nico to watch a movie and invites Harry—a well-known socialite—to join them, upsetting Nico. Lonnie is forced to leave football practice to help the 110th in a turf war with the Scorpions. After saving Big Donovan from the Scorpions' leader, Mac Gargan, Lonnie earns the respect of the gang and Big Donovan gives him the moniker "Tombstone".
6"Duel with the Devil"Liza SingerCharlie NeunerFebruary 12, 2025 (2025-02-12)
Lonnie is kicked off the football team as he continues to skip practice and school classes. He refuses to explain why to Pearl. Peter invites Harry and Nico to spend time at his home in hopes that they will become friends, but their clashing personalities make it difficult. While Norman attends a charity dinner, he learns that someone is breaking into Oscorp and sends Peter to investigate. Peter finds the vigilante Daredevil, who believes Norman is hiding something sinister. The two fight, which ends with Daredevil knocking Peter unconscious. When Peter wakes up, Norman explains that Octavius is behind the technology that criminals have been using and he believes that Octavius hired Daredevil to steal from Oscorp. While Peter is away, Harry accidentally reveals to Nico that Peter is Spider-Man. She confirms this when Peter returns, and leaves upset that he kept this secret from her. Lonnie is followed by Gargan's second-in-command, Carmilla Black, and returns to the 110th's hideout for protection. She tracks him there and informs Gargan, who is equipped with scorpion-like armor by Octavius.
7"Scorpion Rising"Stu LivingstonRaven KonéFebruary 12, 2025 (2025-02-12)
At school, Nico ignores Peter's attempts to apologize for keeping Spider-Man a secret. Peter and Norman deduce that Octavius is using gamma radiation for his technology and begin to trace it around the city to try locate him. Harry takes Nico out for food in an attempt to get her to forgive Peter. The two begin to bond after he teaches her how to drive and they engage in a street race against an unruly driver. While she still has a hard time forgiving Peter, Harry tells Nico that Peter kept his secret to protect her. Nico apologizes to Harry for how she treated him before and calls him a friend. Pearl learns of Lonnie's involvement with the 110th from Andre, and confronts Lonnie at their hideout. As Lonnie tries to push her away, the gang is attacked by Gargan, now calling himself Scorpion. Tracking the radiation in Gargan's armor, Peter rescues Pearl and Lonnie, who escape with the 110th. Norman, distracted with finding Octavius, provides minimal assistance in the fight and Peter is severely injured by Gargan. Norman locates Octavius and then sends a glider to rescue Peter before the latter is killed.
8"Tangled Web"Liza SingerCharlie NeunerFebruary 12, 2025 (2025-02-12)
Peter is shaken after his fight with Gargan and questions whether he can win. Norman gives him an ultimatum to step up as Spider-Man or lose their partnership. Peter breaks down in front of May, and she expresses her wish that he still had his uncle Ben to turn to. Norman sends Octavius's location to Thaddeus Ross, the United States Secretary of State, who arrests Octavius for violating the Sokovia Accords with assistance from Iron Man. The next day, Peter goes to Pearl's house to help with an assignment. Lonnie visits and informs her that the 110th is going after Gargan. Pearl breaks up with Lonnie when he refuses to leave the gang. Thanks to a tip from one of Mila and Mikhail's associates, Dmitri Smerdyakov, the gang learns of Octavius's abandoned warehouse and plan to use his technology to combat Gargan. Without Ben, Peter turns to Norman for advice. Norman believes Peter lost to Gargan because he is holding back, and tells him that with great power comes great respect. Harry reveals to Peter that he had Oscorp's scientists develop a new red and blue Spider-Man suit for him.
9"Hero or Menace"Liza SingerJeff TrammellFebruary 19, 2025 (2025-02-19)
Norman visits Octavius in prison to gloat about his involvement in the latter's arrest, and to reveal that his technology is being given to Oscorp. Peter stops the 110th's attempt to hijack the technology as it is being transferred. Gargan arrives with the Scorpions and a brawl breaks out which Big Donovan runs away from. Lonnie steps up and searches Octavius's technology for something to use. He is exposed to a mysterious gas which gives him superhuman strength and durability. Lonnie uses his new powers to help Peter fight Gargan. After the latter buries Lonnie under rubble, Peter takes Norman's advice and stops holding back. He almost kills Gargan before Lonnie breaks free and stops him, convincing him to not cross that line and to remain a hero. Gargan is arrested. Seeing Peter save lives as Spider-Man, Nico forgives him. Norman thanks Peter for his work in stopping Gargan. He then meets with several Oscorp scientists, including Wittman, who are working on various secret projects. One of these is an attempt to replicate Spider-Man's powers by injecting a spider with Peter's blood.
10"If This Be My Destiny..."Stu LivingstonCharlie Neuner & Jeff TrammellFebruary 19, 2025 (2025-02-19)
Norman reveals to the interns that their projects are all being used to create a gateway to space for the secretive Project Monolith. Strange arrives to warn against this, but Norman orders the gateway be activated. The symbiotic alien comes through and attacks. Strange creates a portal that accidentally takes himself and the alien back in time to Peter's first day at Midtown High. One of the spiders that Oscorp injected with Peter's blood escapes through the portal and bites the younger Peter. Strange and present-day Peter send the alien back to space and destroy the gateway. Part of the symbiote remains behind and is found by Norman. Harry creates his own company, the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (W.E.B.), to support young geniuses like the Oscorp interns without exploitation. Invitees include Amadeus, who declines in favor of an engineering job at Oscorp; Jeanne, who is the superhero Finesse and was undercover at Oscorp at the behest of her vigilante partner Daredevil; and Lonnie, who becomes the new leader of the 110th. Later, May visits Peter's incarcerated father, Richard Parker.

Season 2

Trammell and another writer wrote the season finale.[32]

Production

Development

By June 2021, Marvel Studios Animation was developing a slate of at least three more series in addition to their Disney+ series What If...? (2021–2024).[33][34][35] The next month, these were said to be in various stages of development and were not expected to debut until at least 2023.[36] Spider-Man: Freshman Year was announced during a Disney+ Day event in November 2021, with Jeff Trammell serving as head writer.[1] Trammell had presented a pitch for the series in November 2020, envisioning a four-season story arc. He had previously been asked to pitch for X-Men '97 and had "endeared" himself to Marvel Studios for wanting to tell an original story, which was not the fit for X-Men '97 as it needed to be a continuation from X-Men: The Animated Series but Marvel Studios' animation head Brad Winderbaum and president Kevin Feige felt would be good for a Spider-Man series.[32] Mel Zwyer served as supervising director,[37] with Liza Singer and Stu Livingston as episodic directors.[38][39] Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Winderbaum, and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt were executive producers alongside Trammell.[37]

During Marvel Studios Animation's panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Spider-Man: Freshman Year and the other projects discussed were referred to as being part of the "Marvel Animated Multiverse". A second season was announced at the panel with the title Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.[40] The series was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by December 2023.[41] When Marvel Studios decided change the title, Trammell had provided a list of options to consider, before Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was settled on, as suggested by Feige. Each of the first season's episode titles are a reference to, or inspired by, comic book titles or elements from the comics.[32]

In January 2025, Trammell said the series was not limited to covering one school year per season,[6] and Winderbaum said a third season had been green-lit.[42] Trammell was listed as both showrunner and head writer by Marvel.com.[43] The next month, Winderbaum said the second season would be released in 2026, more than a year after the first, but he hoped that future seasons could be released annually. He said Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and fellow animated series X-Men '97 (2024–present) were the studio's top priorities for "get to a place where we can reliably have very strong seasons every year".[44][45]

Writing

The series was originally planned to be set within the "Sacred Timeline" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), before Peter Parker / Spider-Man's MCU introduction in the film Captain America: Civil War (2016), and depict the character's origin story.[46][4] Marvel Studios decided not to tell the origin story in the MCU films because they felt audiences would already know it due to the Spider-Man films directed by Sam Raimi (2002–2007) and Marc Webb (2012–2014).[47] The creative team found working within the Sacred Timeline to be too restrictive regarding which characters and comic book elements could be included, so they decided to move the series to an alternate timeline,[46] taking advantage of the MCU's multiverse concept. The story begins similarly to Civil War but depicts Norman Osborn becoming Peter's mentor instead of Tony Stark, which leads to Peter meeting other unexpected characters.[2] Peter's origin story is still told in the series, though it differs from previous depictions: Peter is bitten by a spider that falls out of a portal created by Dr. Stephen Strange as he is fighting a symbiotic alien,[48] and the first-season finale reveals that this spider was empowered with Peter's own blood and then taken back in time by Strange's portal, creating a temporal paradox in which Peter gains his abilities from himself.[3]

Trammell said the series would explore Peter's identity pre-Spider-Man and how his superhero career began.[15] The creative team took inspiration from early The Amazing Spider-Man comic books by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko,[49] as well as previous Spider-Man animated series. Trammell took specific inspiration from the way characters were developed in The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–09).[6] He wanted to use the series to approach familiar ideas and characters in new ways, such as Norman Osborn's role as Peter's mentor,[6][50] and Peter's father Richard being alive.[3] Winderbaum said the series was "so essentially Spider-Man" because it features Peter trying to juggle high school, caring for his aunt May, and being a superhero. He said the large ensemble of characters allowed for interesting relationships and stakes,[49] and an emphasis on the "neighborhood" from the series' title by featuring supporting characters in prominent roles;[51] Winderbaum compared this to Trammell's work on the animated series Craig of the Creek (2018–2025).[52] Several characters not usually associated with Spider-Man are included in the series, including Nico Minoru in the role of Peter's best friend, as well as Jeanne Foucault / Finesse and Amadeus Cho. Trammell also considered including a young Jessica Jones as one of Peter's classmates.[53]

Writers for the first season included Trammell, Charlie Neuner, Raven Kone, and Halima Lucas.[54] Tramell wrote half of the season's episodes, but was only able to write around two episodes for the second season because of his other commitments as showrunner; this led to the expansion of the writing team for the second season. The writers' outline for the second season resulted in 56 pages of story elements.[32] By January 2025, the second season scripts had been written, with Winderbaum preparing at that time to hear Trammell's pitch for the third season. Given the series' renewal for three seasons, Winderbaum noted that Trammell had been building a narrative through-line for the series since the first season.[42]

Casting and voice recording

At Comic-Con in July 2022, Charlie Cox was announced to be reprising his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil from previous MCU media for the series,[40] while Paul F. Tompkins was cast as Bentley Wittman.[15] Cox recorded his lines in 2021 during breaks in filming for the live-action MCU series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).[55] In September 2023, a United States Copyright Office filing for the series revealed that Hudson Thames was voicing Peter Parker / Spider-Man, reprising his role from the first season of What If...? (2021),[5][56] with Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song as Nico Minoru, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius, Kari Wahlgren as May Parker, and Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn.[5] The creative team were struggling to settle on an actor for Norman Osborn who they felt could live up to the character's reputation, until Zwyer suggested casting Colman Domingo. Trammell thought that was a "genius idea" and they immediately approached the actor, who was "super excited" to take on the role.[6] Domingo's casting was announced in August 2024.[12]

In December 2024, Cathy Ang was revealed as the voice of Pearl Pangan.[16] Ahead of the series' premiere in January 2025, more actors were revealed for the series: Robin Atkin Downes as Dr. Stephen Strange; Anjali Kunapaneni as Jeanne Foucault / Finesse; Erica Luttrell as Asha; Aleks Le as Amadeus Cho; Zehra Fazal as Carla Connors; Jake Green as Butane; Mick Wingert as Tony Stark / Iron Man, reprising his role from What If...?; Roger Craig Smith as James Sanders / Speed Demon and Dmitri Smerdyakov / Chameleon; Anairis Quiñones as Maria Vasquez and Carmilla Black; Travis Willingham as Mikhail Sytsevich and Thaddeus Ross; Sarah Natochenny as Mila Masaryk / Unicorn; Leilani Barrett as Big Donovan; and Jonathan Medina as Mac Gargan / Scorpion.[18] Former wrestler Ettore Ewen was also revealed to be part of the cast. He began work on the first season in 2022, and was working on the second season by January 2025.[57] Other actors for the first season include Zach Cherry, reprising his MCU role as Klev,[20] and Josh Keaton as Peter's father Richard. Keaton starred as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man and Trammell was excited that they were able to cast him as Richard Parker.[30]

After the first season was released in February 2025, Trammell announced that the character Gwen Stacy / Spider-Gwen would be appearing in the second season.[31]

Animation and design

Because Marvel Studios Animation does not have a "house style", the creative team was free to develop an animation style that differed from previous series What If...? and X-Men '97.[6] They wanted to avoid copying one of the many different animation styles used for the animated Spider-Verse films and settled on paying homage to the early The Amazing Spider-Man comic books, specifically those featuring art by Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr. Trammell described the series as a "moving comic book", which is achieved through 3D cel-shaded animation provided by Polygon Pictures and CGCG, Inc..[6][50][32] Polygon was chosen because of the 2D animation look they had achieved in their previous work. Trammell said the company was able to match their desired style while keeping the "characters feeling alive and real, without feeling stiff and mechanical".[50]

Leo Romero was the lead character designer, with comic book artists Chris Samnee, Paolo Rivera, and Ethan Young also working on the series.[50] Trammell praised Romero for modernizing the designs while retaining classic elements.[6] They leaned further into comic book references for Peter's Spider-Man suits and some of the villains' costumes,[50] including those for Octavius and Gargan.[58] Peter starts the series in a homemade suit made from "gym pants, sneakers, goggles, a blue sweatshirt, red undershirt, knee pads, very clunky web-shooters, and a red logo on the chest".[59] He rejects several Oscorp suit designs which are based on alternate suits that Peter wears when he takes on different personas during the 1998 "Identity Crisis" comic book event: a golden suit with a red cape used for the "Prodigy" persona, a purple suit with hover-wings used for the "Hornet" persona, and a dark blue wingsuit used for the "Dusk" persona. Peter goes on to wear a white and blue Oscorp suit resembling Spider-Man's Future Foundation costume from the comics,[25] and then a "classic 60s" red and blue suit.[59] The first season features opening credits splash pages inspired by comic book art that Romero would rework to reference and be in the style of the series.[32]

Development on the first season took four years to complete, finishing in August 2024. Trammell stated that the season could have likely finished earlier in 2024, but the season kept having various finalizing stages pushed back in order for Marvel Studios to accommodate other series. By February 2025, animatics for the second season were halfway complete, with some animation already complete.[32]

Music

Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson were revealed to be composing the series' score in June 2024.[60] The series' theme song, "Neighbor Like Me" by The Math Club featuring Relaye and Melo Makes Music, is a rap that samples the theme song from the animated series Spider-Man (1967–1970) by Paul Francis Webster and Bob Harris.[61][62] Like the series' animation, Trammell wanted the theme song to be "something classic that we all love" through the use of the 1960s sample while still being modern.[32] The song was released as a single by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on January 21, 2025.[61][62] A soundtrack album featuring the theme song and excerpts from Birenberg and Robinson's score was released digitally on February 21.[63]

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Original Soundtrack)
No.TitleLength
1."Neighbor Like Me" (performed by The Math Club featuring Relaye and Melo Makes Music)3:33
2."Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man"2:07
3."With Great Power..."2:06
4."Lonnie Lincoln"0:59
5."Good Deed"0:37
6."Swing Into Action"2:04
7."Spider-Intern"1:16
8."Up in Flames"1:39
9."Another Chance"1:22
10."Lunch on Me"1:09
11."Armed and Dangerous"2:22
12."The 110th"1:32
13."Dude at the Desk"0:48
14."We Need More Heroes"2:20
15."Doctor's Orders"3:06
16."Lonnie and Pearl"1:54
17."Scorpions"1:26
18."The Devil's Web"2:34
19."Street Race"2:08
20."Sting Operation"2:10
21."Arach-nemeses"1:18
22."Hanging by a Thread"3:58
23."Just a Kid"1:40
24."Running Late"1:02
25."Big Argon Fan"1:07
26."I Have to See This Through"2:21
27."Spidey-Sense"3:44
28."Araña"2:12
29."Silk and Stone"1:27
30."People Look Up to You"3:33
31."Déjà Vu"3:30
32."I Became Me"1:47
33."Your Friendly Neighborhood Montage"4:32
Total length:63:00

Marketing

The series was discussed during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, where character art was revealed.[15] The series was featured in a sizzle reel of Marvel Studios Animation's 2024 series in December 2023.[41] Trammell, Thames, and Domingo promoted the series during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the D23 Expo in August 2024, where Domingo's role as Norman was announced and footage was shown.[64][65][66] Footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ in October, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.[67]

Marvel Comics began releasing a five-issue comic book prequel series, also titled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, in December 2024. The comic was written by Christos Gage and features art by Eric Gapstur.[68] Trammell explained that the comic book fills a timeline gap in the series' first episode. He said it was possible that more comic books could be written to fill other timeline gaps later in the series.[6] A trailer for the series was released at the end of December, following the conclusion of What If...?'s third season. Toussaint Egan of Polygon described the series as "long-awaited",[69] and Jordan King at Empire called it "hotly anticipated".[70] King and IGN's Adam Bankhurst both highlighted the trailer's combination of classic Spider-Man references—including the art style and theme song—with contemporary animation and imagery.[70][71] Discussing the trailer for Gizmodo, Justin Carter said it was "well worth the wait" and felt the series would be appreciated by people who wanted the MCU's Spider-Man to have some "smaller adventures".[72]

Release

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premiered with its first two episodes on Disney+ on January 29, 2025, with the remaining eight episodes released weekly in groups of two or three until February 19.[73] Chris Agar of ComicBook.com described the release schedule as unusual for an MCU series and suggested it was designed to avoid overlapping with the debut of the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again in March.[73] The series was previously scheduled to be released in 2024,[41][74] and a filing for the first episode with the United States Copyright Office in October 2023 had indicated an approximate release on November 2 of that year.[75] The first season is part of Phase Five of the MCU.[76] On February 19, 2025, the first episode was made available for free on YouTube.[77] The second season is expected to premiere in 2026,[44] as part of Phase Six.[citation needed] Winderbaum hoped that future seasons could be released annually.[44][45]

Reception

Viewership

Whip Media's viewership tracking app, TV Time, which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, reported that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was one of the ten most-streamed original series in the U.S. from February 2—9.[78][79] TVision, which utilizes its TVision Power Score to evaluate CTV programming performance by factoring in viewership and engagement across over 1,000 apps and incorporating four key metrics—viewer attention time, total program time available for the season, program reach, and app reach—calculated that Spider-Man was the fifth most-streamed series from February 3—9.[80]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 97% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2/10, based on 35 reviews for the first season. The site's critical consensus reads: "Embracing the wholesome aesthetics of the webslinger's original comic run while adding some fresh plot wrinkles, this family-friendly Spider-Man is a lovable incarnation of the Marvel superhero."[81] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 77 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[82]

References

  1. ^ a b c Hipes, Patrick (November 12, 2021). "Disney+ Day: All The Streamer's Film & TV News From Premiere Dates To Series Orders". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Davis, Brandon (July 28, 2022). "How Spider-Man: Freshman Year Fits Into MCU Revealed (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Schedeen, Jesse (February 19, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Ending Explained – This One Twist Changes Everything for Peter Parker". IGN. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (November 12, 2021). "Disney+ Orders '90s 'X-Men' Revival, 'Marvel Zombies' and 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Hickson, Colin (October 6, 2023). "Spider-Man: Freshman Year Synopsis Teases a 'New Era of Spider-Man'". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bennett, Tara (January 6, 2025). "Toon In: Animated TV Highlights for January, from Harley Quinn to Spider-Man". Paste. Archived from the original on January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Bonomolo, Cameron (December 29, 2024). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Yearbook: Every Marvel Character Confirmed to Appear". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Oddo, Marco Vito (February 5, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Reveals the Truth Behind a Clever Easter Egg". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  9. ^ Chapman, Tom (July 23, 2022). "Spider-Man: Freshman Year Who's Who – Daredevil, Doctor Strange and More | Comic-Con 2022". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Oddo, Marco Vito (February 5, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Gives a Classic Villain a Tragic Origin Story". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  11. ^ Wilde, Karlis (February 7, 2025). "Marvel Just Replaced The MCU's Ned Leeds With Harry Osborn And Now I'm Even More Convinced Spider-Man 4 Needs To Introduce The Green Goblin's Son". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Williams, Marisa (August 10, 2024). "Colman Domingo Is Joining the World of Marvel as This Iconic Villain". Collider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Mitovich Webb, Matt (August 10, 2024). "Marvel Zombies (TV-MA!), Spider-Man, Eyes of Wakanda (Iron Fist?!) and Other Animated Series Get Updates at D23". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  14. ^ Dick, Jeremy (August 10, 2024). "Spider-Man Animated Series to Bring Back Past Spidey Actor as the New Peter Parker". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d Nolan, Liam (July 22, 2022). "SDCC: Marvel Studios Animation Panel Reveals Future of X-Men '97, What If and Marvel Zombies". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Oganesyan, Natalie (December 29, 2024). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Trailer: Marvel Animated Series Pays Tribute To Comic Book Roots With Peter Parker's Origin Story". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Bradley, Ollie; Howard, Brandon (February 5, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Cast & Character Guide – Every Actor In The Animated Series". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bonomolo, Cameron (January 27, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Everything to Know About the Marvel Studios Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  19. ^ Farley, Lloyd (February 7, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Just Tackled One of Marvel's Most Niche Characters". Collider. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e Erdmann, Kevin (February 12, 2025). "Daredevil, Scorpion And Iron Man Arrive In Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episodes 6, 7, & 8: 18 Easter Eggs And References Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  21. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (February 12, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Clever Easter-Egg Ties Civil War with Peter Parker's History". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  22. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (February 19, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Finale Sets Up a Web of Comic Book Storylines". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  23. ^ a b Zalben, Alex (February 5, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Voice Cast: Who's Who In Season 1, Episode 3, From Maria Vasquez To Speed Demon". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  24. ^ Das, Kaushik (February 6, 2025). "Big E makes major debut outside WWE". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Erdmann, Kevin (February 5, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episodes 3, 4, & 5 Feature Big Civil War Connections And A Major Costume Change: 26 Easter Eggs and References Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  26. ^ Macias, Patrick (January 30, 2025). "You're Not Imagining It: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Hides a My Hero Academia Connection". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  27. ^ Zalben, Alex (February 5, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Voice Cast: Who's Who In Season 1, Episode 5, From Scorpion To Unicorn". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  28. ^ a b Zalben, Alex (January 29, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Voice Cast: Who's Who In Season 1, Episode 1, From Doctor Strange To Harry Osborn". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  29. ^ Zalben, Alex (February 5, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Voice Cast: Who's Who In Season 1, Episode 4, From Otto Octavius To Carmilla Black". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on February 16, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  30. ^ a b O'Connell, Sean (February 19, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Creator Opens Up About That Massive Cameo In The Season Finale: 'The Role He's Playing Means So Much To Me'". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  31. ^ a b Marston, George (February 20, 2025). "First look at Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2 reveals a glimpse at both Gwen Stacy and Spider-Gwen as fan-favorite character is confirmed to be joining the cast". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h Jones, Tamera; Weintraub, Steve (February 23, 2025). ""You're Building a World From the Ground Up": 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Creator Shares Updates for Seasons 2 and 3". Collider. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  33. ^ Corvin, Ann-Marie (June 14, 2021). "Marvel's Victoria Alonso on Exploring Diversity and Inclusion through 'What If' and the Hunt for Global Animation Partnerships". Variety. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  34. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 4, 2021). "Walt Disney Animation Amps Up Production With New Vancouver Studio; First Project Is 'Moana' Musical Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  35. ^ Lee, Chris (January 13, 2023). "Inside the VFX Union Brewing in Hollywood". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023. Alonso heads up Marvel's dedicated "mini-studio," Marvel Studios Animation, which is behind such shows as What If ...? and the summer 2022 series of Vin Diesel–voiced original shorts, I Am Groot.
  36. ^ Vary, Adam B. (August 11, 2021). "Marvel Studios Planning 'Multiple' New Animated Series Following Debut of 'What If…?'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  37. ^ a b "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Project Profile 11–13–24". The Walt Disney Studios. November 15, 2024. Archived from the original on November 15, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024 – via Getty Images.
  38. ^ Gladman, Andrew (February 2, 2025). "Every Villain Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Set Up in the Premiere". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 8, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  39. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (February 17, 2025). "The MCU Cleverly Reinvented Spider-Man's Most Iconic Villain, But Will the Changes Last?". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  40. ^ a b Moreau, Jordan (July 22, 2022). "'Marvel Zombies,' 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year,' 'What If?' Season 2 Get First Looks". Variety. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  41. ^ a b c "Marvel Studios Celebrates New Season of 'What If...?'". Marvel.com. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  42. ^ a b Garbutt, Emily (January 27, 2025). "Marvel's new Spider-Man show has already been renewed for season 3, even though season 1 hasn't even started yet". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  43. ^ Coggan, Devan (January 29, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Swings onto Disney+". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  44. ^ a b c O'Rourke, Ryan; Weintraub, Steven (February 26, 2025). ""We Will Have a Spider-Man Season Every Year": Marvel Executive Producer Discusses the Future of 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man"". Collider. Archived from the original on February 26, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  45. ^ a b McPherson, Chris; Weintraub, Steven (February 26, 2025). "'X-Men '97' Fans Will Have To Wait a While Longer for Season 2 ". Collider. Archived from the original on February 27, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  46. ^ a b Paz, Maggie Dela (December 27, 2024). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Marvel Exec Reveals Why Disney+ Show is No Longer MCU Canon". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  47. ^ Bibbiani, William (April 11, 2015). "Exclusive: Marvel's Spider-Man Reboot is NOT an Origin Story". Mandatory. Archived from the original on June 10, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  48. ^ Jones, Rendy (January 29, 2025). ""Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" Brings Marvel's Web-Slinger Down to Street Level". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  49. ^ a b Lovett, Jamie (May 18, 2024). "Spider-Man and Wakanda Animated Series Teased by Marvel Producer". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  50. ^ a b c d e Gaur, Ryan (January 3, 2025). "'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Showrunner Jeff Trammel Gives Us the Scoop on the New Disney+ Show". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 5, 2025. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  51. ^ Howard, Brandon (July 13, 2024). "Marvel's Newest Spider-Man Finally Uses A Story That The MCU Couldn't". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  52. ^ Power, Tom (July 3, 2024). "'Similar to X-Men 97': Marvel TV chief reveals how Daredevil: Born Again is taking cues from its hit Disney Plus cousin". TechRadar. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  53. ^ Hein, Michael (January 28, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Almost Included Another Netflix Marvel Character". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  54. ^ Kone, Raven (January 31, 2025). "Not usually on this app, but had to hop on to promote this amazing show as one of the writers working [Jeff Trammell], [Charlie Neuner], and Halima Lucas on #YourFriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderMan streaming now on Disney+! Can't wait for you guys see what we've cooked up" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025 – via Twitter.
  55. ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (June 18, 2024). "Charlie Cox Talks Daredevil Return in Marvel's Animated Spider-Man Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  56. ^ "Spider-Man: Freshman Year "Episode 101" (101)". United States Copyright Office. September 25, 2023. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  57. ^ Ocal, Arda (January 27, 2025). "WWE's Big E steps into Spider-Man universe as voice actor for Disney+ series". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  58. ^ Louis, Brandon (July 23, 2022). "Spider-Man: Freshman Year Image Reveals First Look At 9 Villains". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  59. ^ a b Scott, Ryan (July 22, 2022). "Marvel's Spider-Man: Freshman Year: 5 Things We Learned From The Comic-Con Panel". /Film. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  60. ^ Danoff, Owen (June 17, 2024). "Emmy-Winning Cobra Kai Composers Score Marvel's Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Series". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  61. ^ a b "The Math Club's 'Neighbor Like Me' from Marvel's 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Released". Film Music Reporter. January 21, 2025. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  62. ^ a b Adams, Tim (January 27, 2025). "Marvel Just Gave Spider-Man a New Theme Song (That Samples the Original)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  63. ^ "' Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Soundtrack Album to Be Released". Film Music Reporter. February 20, 2025. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  64. ^ Kelley, Aidan; Gates, Taylor (August 10, 2024). "Marvel Revealed Sneak Peeks of 'What If...?' 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' and More at D23". Collider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  65. ^ Anderson, Jenna (August 10, 2024). "D23: Marvel Animation Panel Recap". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  66. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (July 11, 2024). "D23 2024 Will Include First Looks at X-Men '97 Season 2, Spider-Man Animated Series, and More". IGN. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  67. ^ Lussier, Germain (October 30, 2024). "Marvel Just Revealed Its TV Release Dates for the Next Year". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on October 30, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  68. ^ Marston, George (September 10, 2024). "New Spider-Man animated series gets a prequel comic from a longtime Spider-Man writer who also worked on the Playstation games". Newsarama. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  69. ^ Egan, Toussaint (December 29, 2024). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's first trailer is a blast from an alternate past". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  70. ^ a b King, Jordan (December 29, 2024). "Peter Parker Swings Into Animated Action In Disney+ Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Trailer". Empire. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  71. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (December 29, 2024). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Trailer Is a Nostalgic Look at Spidey's Newest Adventure". IGN. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  72. ^ Carter, Justin (December 29, 2024). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Trailer Finally Swings In". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on December 29, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  73. ^ a b Agar, Chris (January 17, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Has an Unusual Episode Release Schedule". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  74. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (December 11, 2023). "Marvel Studios Confirms X-Men '97 and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Release Dates on Disney+". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  75. ^ Valdez, Nick (October 8, 2023). "Spider-Man: Freshman Year Full Cast and Release Window Reportedly Revealed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  76. ^ Fuge, Jonathan (August 10, 2024). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Casts Norman Osborn, Changes Origin Story". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  77. ^ Martin, Catherine Armecin (February 21, 2025). "How to Watch Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episode 1 For Free". Game Rant. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  78. ^ Latchem, John (February 4, 2025). "'Severance' Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Feb. 2". Media Play News. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  79. ^ Prange, Stephanie (February 11, 2025). "'Severance' Again Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart Through Feb. 9". Media Play News. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  80. ^ "The TVision Power Score – Week of February 3–9, 2025". TVision Insights. February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2025.
  81. ^ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  82. ^ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.