Summary
Spider-Man remains one of Marvel’s most popular superheroes. The character is plastered over video games and landing new MCU movies left and right. Spider-Man even has a whole cinematic universe dedicated to his comic book villains over at Sony. But Spider-Man’s next project will next the new Marvel animated seriesYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manis one of a string of new series by Marvel Studios Animation, the studio that’s also behind the multiverse seriesWhat If…?and the animated X-Men revival,X-Men ‘97. TheSpider-Mananimated series is the first of a slate of MCU animated seriesset to release on Disney+ in 2025, which also includesMarvel ZombiesandThe Eyes of Wakanda. As Marvel Studios Animation is behind these series, the question has naturally been raised of just how canon the story ofYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manis to the mainstream MCU.
What is Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man About?
When Peter Parker was first introduced into the MCU inCaptain America: Civil Warhe was already suited up and equipped with his comic book powers. The MCU made the decision to skip over Peter’s origin story to instead explore his coming-of-age high school story alongside his duties as the already-established Spider-Man. However,Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manintends to explore Peter’s roots and uncover the journey the character went on to become a superhero.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manwill play outin a unique comic-book-style animation format that pays homage to the character’s origins. Snippets of the series so far have shown Peter fighting crime in his homemade Spider-Man suit and previews have confirmed the series will include notable villains Norman Osborne, Scorpion, Rhino, and Venom. Peter will also have his high school friends at his side, such as Harry Osborne and Nico Minoru. Other MCU characters like Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Kingpin, and Tony Stark are also set to make appearances.
Is Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Canon?
The inclusion of so many Marvel characters in one show is exciting but also has potentially huge ramifications for the MCU and its timeline. This is why the animated series is set in another universe within the Marvel multiverse and is not a part of the main Earth-616 timeline. Peter’s interactions with characters like Doctor Strange and Otto Octavius, when he was younger, would break the timeline established in the mainstream MCU. Hence Marvel Studios is using the multiverse to its advantage to tell this particular Spider-Man story. Another noteworthy thing is that, in this alternate universe, Peter is raisedunder the mentorship of Norman Osborne, rather than Tony Stark, which will no doubt have ramifications on the type of hero he becomes.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Not Being Canon is A Good Thing
The MCU is continuously expanding, adding more installments and crossovers to its interweaving narrative each year. While this is exciting for the continuation of the cinematic universe, it also does limit creativity in some respects. To preserve a cohesive timeline for its past and future projects,Marvel Studios often steps into steer its creative teams away from using certain comic book characters or plot elements in their stories that may impact other projects that are in the works. By settingYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manin the multiverse and therefore away from the main action of the MCU, the animated series avoids these limitations and essentially has creative freedom to do whatever it pleases.
This also opens the door forYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manto be a true comic book adaptation and enter the more heightened space that comics often utilize.Peter having friends like Nico Minoru(a character from Marvel’sRunaways) is a neat pairing that might never have happened unless the animated series existed in the Multiverse. Similarly, it allows Marvel Studios to explore avenues of Spider-Man’s character under its roof in the animation space that it might never be able to bring to life in live-action.
Tom Holland’s fourthSpider-Manfilmis currently in development, but it will still need to adhere to the restrictions laid out in the narrative of the wider MCU.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manoffers a break from that and gives fans of the character a chance to see certain Spider-Man stories come to life that may never have otherwise.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manwill be released on Disney+ on August 03, 2025.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man follows Peter Parker as he embarks on a journey to embrace his destiny as a hero. The film explores his unconventional path and the challenges he faces in balancing his newfound responsibilities with the ordinary aspects of his life. Released in 2025.
