| Genre: | Superhero |
| Creator: | Jeff Trammell |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Company: | Marvel Studios Animation |
| Network: | Disney+ |
| Related: | Marvel Cinematic Universe television series |
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is an upcoming American animated television series created by Jeff Trammell for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It is intended to be 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 where Norman Osborn becomes Parker's mentor instead of Tony Stark. Trammell serves as head writer, while Mel Zwyer is the supervising director.
Hudson Thames voices Parker, reprising the role from the Marvel Studios animated series What If...? (2021–present), with Colman Domingo, Eugene Byrd, Grace Song, Zeno Robinson, Hugh Dancy, Charlie Cox, Kari Wahlgren, and also Paul F. Tompkins starring in the series. Disney+ announced Spider-Man: Freshman Year in November 2021, with Trammell attached. It was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by December 2023. The series' animation style is similar to the early The Amazing Spider-Man comic book art, with animation provided by Polygon Pictures.
The first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on January 29, 2025, as part of Phase Five of the MCU. A second season is in development.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man explores Peter Parker's origin story and early days using the Spider-Man persona in an alternate reality where Norman Osborn becomes Parker's mentor instead of Tony Stark.
Additional characters confirmed to be appearing in the series include Dr. Stephen Strange, Amadeus Cho, Pearl Pangan, Jeanne Foucault, Chameleon, Mac Gargan / Scorpion, Rhino, Tarantula, Butane, Speed Demon, Carmela Black, Unicorn, Tony Stark / Iron Man, Curt Connors, Venom, and White Rabbit.
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–present). The next month, these were said to be in various stages of development and were not expected to debut until at least 2023. Spider-Man: Freshman Year was announced during the Disney+ Day event in November 2021, with Jeff Trammell serving as head writer Mel Zwyer serves as the supervising director, while Stu Livingston is an episode director. Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt serve as executive producers, alongside Trammell. During Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Spider-Man: Freshman Year and the other projects discussed were introduced as being part of the "Marvel Animated Multiverse". The series was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by December 2023. A second season was announced in July 2022, then titled Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.
Charlie Neuner serves as a staff writer. The series depicts the origin story of Peter Parker / Spider-Man, which was never explored in detail in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films; Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated in 2015 that they decided to not retell the character's origin in (2016), which was the character's first MCU appearance, since there had been two previous versions in the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films, so Marvel Studios was "going to take it for granted that people know that, and the specifics". The origin story in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man sees Parker get bit by a spider falling out of a portal created by Dr. Stephen Strange as he is fighting Venom, connecting his origin to magic rather than science as in the comics.
Trammell said the series would explore Parker's identity pre-Spider-Man and how his superhero career began. Winderbaum explained that the series took inspiration from the early Stan Lee and Steve Ditko comics and called it "so essentially Spider-Man" since Parker is in high school trying to juggle school, caring for his aunt May, and being a superhero. He also noted the large ensemble of characters featured in the series, saying "things feel really tragic and dangerous, and pretty incredible" as the relationships are deepened as the series progresses through the first season, raising the stakes. The series puts an emphasis on the "neighborhood" from the title, similar to Trammell's work on the Cartoon Network Studios series Craig of the Creek (2018–present).
Details revealed in July 2022 suggested the series was set in an alternate timeline from the main MCU continuity, which Winderbaum soon confirmed, explaining that they were taking advantage of the MCU's multiverse concept: the story begins similarly to Civil War but depicts Norman Osborn becoming Parker's mentor instead of Tony Stark / Iron Man, which leads to Parker meeting other unexpected characters.
In July 2022, Charlie Cox was revealed to be reprising his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil from previous MCU media, while Paul F. Tompkins was set as the voice of Bentley Wittman. Cox recorded his lines in 2021 during breaks in filming his appearance on the live-action MCU series (2022). In September 2023, a United States Copyright Office filing for the series revealed that Hudson Thames was voicing Parker, reprising his role from the first season of What If...? (2021), along 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. In August 2024, Colman Domingo was revealed as the voice of Norman Osborn.
The series will feature a 3D cel-shaded animation style that pays homage to the early The Amazing Spider-Man comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Animation is provided by Polygon Pictures. Spider-Man suits featured in the series include his 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", a yellow suit, a "classic 60s" red and blue suit, a white and blue Oscorp suit, a "beetle" costume, and a dark suit; the last two costumes are reminiscent of those worn by the respective characters Hornet and Dusk in the comics, while the Oscorp suit resembles Spider-Man's Future Foundation costume from the comics.[2]
Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson were revealed to be composing the series' score in June 2024. The series' theme song is a rap remix of classic Spider-Man theme songs.
The series was discussed during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, when artwork of the characters was revealed. The series was featured in a sizzle reel of Marvel Studios Animation's 2024 series in December 2023. 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. In September 2024, Marvel Comics announced a five-issue comic book prequel series, also titled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, written by Christos Gage and with art by Eric Gapstur. The first issue will be released in December 2024. Footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ the next month, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is scheduled to debut on Disney+ on January 29, 2025. It was previously scheduled to be released in 2024. A filing for the first episode with the United States Copyright Office in October 2023 indicated an approximate release on November 2, 2024. It is expected to be part of Phase Five of the MCU.