the main MCU timeline, but that ended up not being the case. Spider-Man is Marvel’s flagship character, with decades of comic books capturing the imaginations of readers and inspiring numerous adaptations to film and television, and the new series adds another incredible take on the character.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced its own version of Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, in Captain America: Civil War, which only referenced the web-slinger’s iconic origin story in ing. For a time, it appeared that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man would finally explore this skipped portion of the MCU Spider-Man’s history, but decided to go in a different direction. Although heavily inspired by the MCU, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man explores the life of a new version of Peter Parker, complete with a new, mind-blowing origin story.
Quick Links
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Release Date & Where To Watch
Disney + Is Home To This New Spider-Man Series
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man initially premiered its first two episodes on January 29, 2025. Each week after that, a new batch of episodes was dropped, with two or even three at a time. The final two episodes of the 10-episode season were released on February 19, 2025. Given that it was produced by Marvel Studios, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a Disney + original series and is available to stream in its entirety on the service right now.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Critical Reception
Marvel Studios Has Made Another Critical Hit
Image via Disney+
Prior to release, there was a lot of divisive discourse surrounding Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, with many criticizing the animation style, and the disappointment that it would no longer be the beginning story for Tom Holland's Spider-Man. These worries were laid to rest once the series was actually released, as it became clear that Spider-Man had another incredible adaptation for fans to love.
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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a critical darling, amassing a very impressive 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, sitting up there with X-Men '97 as some of the best Marvel Studios animated projects recently. Utilizing some familiar narrative beats from the MCU, but making its own thing out of it was perhaps the best decision Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man made, making it feel unique and fresh.
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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Cast
An Impressive Group Of Voice Actors That Bring These Characters To Life
Hudson Thames stars as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, giving the character a lot of personality and charm, while carving out his own identity. Alongside Peter Parker is his best friend, Nico Minoru, who is played wonderfully by Grace Song. Coleman Domingo plays Norman Osborn, who initially helps Peter as Spider-Man, but as the series progresses, it begins to set him up for his eventual turn into Green Goblin.
Other main characters in the series include Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, a younger take on the character, similar to the MCU's. Eugene Byrd plays Lonnie Lincoln, who starts out as Peter's lab partner turned friend before ing the 110th Street Gang, setting up his eventual descent into the villain Tombstone. Zeno Robinson voices Harry Osborn, who eventually befriends Peter Parker and acts as the new "man in the chair" for Spider-Man.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Main Cast |
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|---|---|---|
Actor |
Role |
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Hudson Thames |
Peter Parker / Spider-Man |
Image via Disney+ |
Grace Song |
Nico Minoru |
|
Coleman Domingo |
Norman Osborn |
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Kari Wahlgren |
Aunt May |
|
Eugene Byrd |
Lonnie Lincoln |
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Zeno Robinson |
Harry Osborn |
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No cast is complete without a variety of ing actors, and there are some truly great characters featured in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. These include Cathy Ang as Pearl Pangan, Zehra Fazal as Doctor Connors, Leilani Barret as Big Donovan, and Paul F. Tompkins as Bentley Wittman.
Some big name heroes and villains appear in the series as well, with Charlie Cox returning as Daredevil, Hugh Dancy as Doctor Octopus, Jonathan Medina as Mac Gargan / Scorpion, and Robin Atkins Downes as Doctor Strange, whose limited role actually ended up being narratively significant.
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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Ending & Spoilers
An Action-Packed Finale With A Twist
While the series was building up to a gang war between the 110th Street Gang and Scorpion's crew, it was Peter Parker's journey into fully becoming a hero that shines in the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man ending. The final confrontation between Spider-Man and Scorpion features Peter Parker no longer holding back, which leads to him almost killing the villain, but Lonnie Lincoln stepped in to stop him, showing his newfound strength and setting him up to eventually be Tombstone. It's a turning point for Peter Parker, who begins to understand who he needs to be as Spider-Man.
Perhaps the biggest reveal in the entire series brings the initial conflict between Doctor Strange and Venom full circle, opening up a time loop paradox that is responsible for turning Peter Parker into Spider-Man. Oscorp used the interns' projects to build a portal that can bridge the vastness of space, which actually lets in Venom, and Doctor Strange shows up to stop him. During his fight with Venom, Doctor Strange uses the time stone and when a portal opens up while using it, he and Venom are thrust into the beginning of the series, where their fight leads to Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man.
The biggest twist, though, is that the spider that bit Peter was actually a result of experiments by Oscorp using his own blood after he was already Spider-Man. This opens up a paradox where Peter only becomes Spider-Man because he was bitten by a spider that was being experimented on with his blood after already being Spider-Man. While it might seem a bit confusing, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man does a great job showing how it works, making it one of the most fascinating origins for the iconic character.
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How Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Fits Into The MCU & Sets Up Season Two
A New Take On The Character With The Promise Of Big Things To Come
Though it was initially touted as the beginning of Tom Holland's version of Spider-Man, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man ended up going in a different direction, not beholden to the canon established in the MCU. In fact, it is just another universe within the expansive multiverse that the MCU introduced post-Avengers: Endgame. While it draws a lot of narrative elements from the MCU, there are substantial changes to established moments along the way.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man isn't done after just one season, either, as it has already been renewed for at least two more seasons. This is fantastic news considering how many threads the first season leaves open to explore later. One of the biggest ones is the eventual Lonnie Lincoln turn into the villain Tombstone. Norman Osborn is being positioned to eventually become the Green Goblin, and his experiments with opening a portal into space resulted in a small piece of the symbiote being left on Earth, opening up the possibility for the actual Venom to finally appear.
Easily the biggest reveal at the end of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is that Peter Parker's dad, Richard Parker, is actually alive. Aunt May goes to visit him in prison, and although there isn't any explanation yet, it is safe to assume that it will play a huge part in the overall narrative of the series, since it is such a massive moment for the character of Peter Parker. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 toyed with the idea, but Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is actually going to explore it.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
- Release Date
- January 29, 2025
- Network
- Disney+
- Writers
- Charlie Neuner
Cast
Hudson ThamesPeter Parker / Spider-Man (voice)
May Parker (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man follows Peter Parker as he navigates the complexities of heroism, facing a series of extraordinary challenges.
- Franchise(s)
- Spider-Man
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Creator(s)
- Jeff Trammell
- Producers
- Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Tim Pauer, Brad Winderbaum, Danielle Costa, Jeff Trammell
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