The new series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man swings onto Disney+ next month. It’s an animated alternate take on the adventures of the Marvel Cinematic Universe web-slinging superhero. This upcoming cartoon is essentially an expanded episode of the other Marvel show What If . . . ? Recently, the official trailer for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premiered. It showcased numerous forthcoming scenes and characters along with the show’s impressive comic-styled visuals.
The Canon MCU Spider-Man
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man presents a story derived from the one featured in the MCU. Many people know and have witnessed it, but let’s recap to be safe. Played by Tom Holland, Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, debuted in Captain America: Civil War. Tony Stark recruited him to help arrest the rogue Steve and Bucky. Peter’s story continued in Spider-Man: Homecoming, stopping the Vulture and his black arms operation. He also occasionally butted heads with Tony, who became the young web-slinger’s mentor.
Afterward, Spidey played a prominent role in Avengers: Infinity War, helping to stop Thanos. His team’s efforts failed, and he became one of The Snap’s casualties. Fortunately, the web-slinger was revived and participated in the epic climatic battle of Avengers: Endgame. Spider-Man: Far From Home featured Peter taking on Mysterio and having his secret identity exposed. This predicament led to him facing villains from other realities in Spider-Man: No Way Home. After that adventure, Peter continued his superhero duties, albeit choosing to work independently.
Looking at Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Instead of continuing the MCU story, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man rewrites it. The series returns Peter to his high school days and struggles to be a hero. It’s the classic tale that most Spider-Man shows and movies tell, except the MCU. This cartoon keeps the aspect of Peter gaining a mentor, but it won’t be Tony. Norman Osborn, CEO of Oscorp, will step up to fill the position. This new mentorship opens new doors for the web-slinger, like upgrading from his homemade suit.
Norman Osborn becoming Spider-Man’s mentor is the most interesting idea of the series. Typically, Norman is the Green Goblin, one of the wall-crawler’s most dangerous foes. This development can occur here since Green Goblin doesn’t exist in the MCU. But we won’t know until the show drops hints during its run. Either way, what Norman has planned for our favorite web-slinger will be intriguing.
The First Official Trailer
Fans finally got a sneak peek granted by the newly-debuted Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man trailer. It revealed scenes of Peter attending Midtown High and performing heroic acts as Spider-Man. He interacted with his aunt and classmates and saved the life of another teenage boy. The young hero also took down some muggers and two villains. Of course, we saw Peter meet Norman, who offered to ascend the wall-crawler to greatness. The preview ends with Spidey swinging through town in a brand-new white and black suit.
The trailer does an excellent job of displaying the plot of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. It contains the traditional Spider-Man heart and action many fanatics adore. However, the biggest draw is the outstanding aesthetic of the overall series. It’s constructed with 3D animation while possessing a charming 80s comic look. Despite the style, the show takes place in the modern age. It creates an extraordinary and whimsical contrast that’ll capture the minds of all Marvel fans.
Final Thoughts
Given what the trailer showed, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man looks incredible. The idea of an alternate MCU timeline alone is enough to attract people. I’m a big fan of the canon MCU Spider-Man saga and hope it continues. This series looks ideal to help make the waiting go faster. It’ll be intriguing to see what changes happen in this adjacent timeline. The Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series premieres on January 29th, 2025, and only on Disney+.
