MCU's Spider-Man has been especially popular, and audiences now await the next installment in his series with bated breath. In the meanwhile, however, the latest Spider-Man project has actually done a great job with tiding audiences over.

Fans have been Spider-Man's most iconic villains being especially memorable in of the hero's adaptations. Following this example, a new story has overcome expectations to become something truly special.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Early Concerns Made Me Worry About The Marvel Show

There Were Legitimate Reasons To Be Concerned About The New Animated Series

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man turned out to be a very special show, although for a time it seemed that that may not be the case. The first teases of the animation looked cheap to many, and one of the first looks at the hero showing him hitting someone in the head with a brick led to concerns the show wouldn't mesh with the usual depiction of Peter Parker. Given the series was originally planned to be part of the main MCU timeline, there was also some concern about why the series had been changed in the first place, especially with so many versions of the hero already available.

The show's start was met with a tempered response. While Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man looked to put interesting twists on the material that had already appeared in the MCU, I was a bit worried that it would not be able to take off. While there were some strong components, including rumored Kang replacement Colman Domingo voicing Norman Osborn, the series seemed for a time to be too intent on subverting MCU expectations rather than telling a compelling story of its own. This was followed by some changes in later episodes, however, that totally reframed my perception of the show.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's Season 1 Run Totally Changed My Feelings About The Series

The Disney+ Show Got Better As It Went Along

With a complex relationship between Peter and Norman, the appearance of excellent versions of familiar Spider-Man villains, a ing cast of compelling Marvel characters and more, I was won over by the show about halfway through. Each episode of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man seemed to build on what came before, playing out between the stories of the Marvel Universe in exciting and original ways. Without relationships to navigate with Sony on television animation, the series was free to better integrate with the larger world.

After cameos by characters like Daredevil, and set up for symbiote stories in the ending of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1, I found myself loving the show. It built off of the MCU version of the character but did not feel beholden to only replicating Tom Holland's Spider-Man. This version of the hero is genuinely a new and fresh take, and the universe that he inhabits is as well, making it so exciting to see these stories told with an understanding of the careful handling that this specific depiction of the iconic Marvel hero needs.

I'm So Excited For Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 & 3

The New Animated Series Has Set Up A Compelling MCU Trajectory

There are so many places that the animated series could go in the future. Interactions with multiversal variants of Marvel heroes are certainly a possibility, as the shape of this world seems to be enormous. Norman Osborn's descent into villainy will certainly be tracked, and stories with the symbiote are likely to play into the story. Often feeling like a mix between the MCU films and the Spider-Verse films, the new animated series has proven itself to be the best of both worlds, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Spider-Man has always thrived in animation, and I was worried that would no longer be the case with this new show. With so many great Spider-Man animated series, it seemed unlikely that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man could live up to the precedent they have set. However, after the show spent so much time building a rich and interesting version of the Spider-Man lore, I no longer believe this. Truly, if the following seasons are as good as this first one, this could wind up being one of the best Spider-Man shows of all time.

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Related
17 Biggest Marvel Easter Eggs In Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episodes 9 & 10

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's finale episodes feature lots of fun and exciting Easter eggs and references to both the comics and the MCU.

I love Spider-Man, and I'm glad that he has remained as popular as ever. The character is such an interesting and original hero, and few in the Marvel Cinematic Universe can match him for charisma and heart. I was worried that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man would fail to live up to the precedent set in the MCU, but the new series has done a great job differentiating itself while also crafting something genuinely special. I cannot wait to see what adventures follow in the near future.

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Your Rating

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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
TV-PG
Animation
Comedy
Action
Science Fiction
6/10
77
8.1/10
Release Date
January 29, 2025
Network
Disney+
Writers
Charlie Neuner

Cast

See All
  • Headshot Of Hudson Thames
    Hudson Thames
    Peter Parker / Spider-Man (voice)
  • Headshot Of Kari Wahlgren
    Kari Wahlgren
    May Parker (voice)

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

Franchise(s)
Spider-Man
Creator(s)
Jeff Trammell

MCU Movies