He’s doing what a spider can and who knew that Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man would lead in not one or two but three concurrent multimedia adaptations, from the Tom Holland-led live-action (so far) trilogy (2017 – 2021), the animated Into the Spider-Verse movies (2018 – present), and the Marvel’s Spider-Man PlayStation 5 video game series (2018 – present), and these are just the ones still in active development. There’s also the web slinger’s inclusion in other properties, with shooter game Marvel Rivals getting a Spider-Man 2 bundle in celebration of the game coming to PC. And this is not even including his multiple appearances in comic books, which means there’s no shortage of Spidey content for the foreseeable future.
With audiences seemingly saturated with Spider-Man content, the challenge is not simply to tell a new story, but to tell a story that feels necessary. Does the world really need another origin story? Another exploration of Peter Parker’s teenage angst and the weight of responsibility that comes with his powers? These are the questions that loom large over any new Spider-Man adaptation, and Disney+‘s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is no exception.

The animated series attempts to clear that hurdle by tapping into nostalgia and exploring an alternate timeline within the multiverse. Under the guidance of creator Jeff Trammell (Amphibia, Craig of the Creek), the show revisits the essence of the character’s high school origins from the classic The Amazing Spider-Man comics by Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr. By placing Peter (Hudson Thames, What If…?) in a reality where Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo, Euphoria, The Color Purple) takes on a mentorship role instead of Tony Stark, the show introduces an interesting twist, but it struggles to break free from the shadow of countless Spidey stories told before, especially since the series is parked under the umbrella of Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios, but isn’t part of the grand Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), though it runs MCU-adjacent. Oh, and does anyone feel Thames is channeling Jack Quaid (The Boys) as Superman in the recent, My Adventures With Superman?
Audiences are once again introduced to Peter’s transformation, starting with his infamous spider bite on his first day at Midtown High. However, instead of the classic lab accident, this version features a portal opening to reveal Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes, X-Men ’97) battling a Venom-like alien creature, with Peter’s spider sneaking through the chaos to deliver its fateful bite. This reimagining of the iconic moment has potential but feels rushed, and the plot quickly skips over Peter’s initial transformation.
But even before that, the appearance of a Venom-like creature preempts audiences to expect more recognisable references and allusions in the series, even if the show doesn’t explicitly refer to everything that fans think they know. Before viewers can settle into his journey of discovery, the story jumps ahead to a more seasoned, overconfident crime-fighting version of Spider-Man, complete with a homemade suit that feels recycled from Holland’s MCU portrayal.

High school life brings a mix of new and familiar faces. Nico Minoru, a carryover from Marvel’s Runaways on Hulu, becomes Peter’s best friend. Unfortunately, Grace Song’s (Launchpad) portrayal of Minoru lacks the nuance that Lyrica Okano (Press Play) brought to the live-action version, reducing the character to a whiny sidekick with only occasional flashes of her magical potential. Harry Osborn (Zeno Robinson, Young Justice, My Hero Academia) is reintroduced as Norman’s son and Peter’s classmate, alongside Lonnie Lincoln (Eugene Byrd, The Legend of Vox Machina), the Midtown football team captain. While these additions bring some variety, they pale in comparison to the glaring absence of iconic Spidey characters like Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane Watson.
Sure – Gwen and MJ only appeared much later in the mythos, but Flash and Betty were part of Peter’s high-school journey so why the new characters? Without these familiar faces, the world of Spider-Man feels incomplete and disconnected from the Spider-Man stories fans hold dear, and in an attempt to incorporate new characters, the series ignore the overall legacy of the character by focusing too much on the new.
But this new journey is also bogged down by too many links into his future. As Peter’s journey progresses, he joins Oscorp – this universe’s equivalent of Stark Industries – as an intern under Norman Osborn’s mentorship. The group of interns includes comic characters like Amadeus Cho (Aleks Le, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Solo Leveling) and Jeanne Foucault (Anjali Kuanpaneni, Pokémon Horizons: The Series), all led by the tough-as-nails Dr. Bentley Wittman (Paul F. Tompkins, BoJack Horseman). Carla Connors (Zehra Fazal, My Adventures with Superman), a gender-swapped take on Curt Connors (the Lizard), leads the Energy Research team that Peter joins, but her role, like several others, are disappointingly sidelined, leaving these characters underexplored, and for Conners, her potential as a villain untapped.

Norman Osborn is far from the menacing Green Goblin fans expect. Instead, he takes on the role of Peter’s tech-savvy mentor and the ‘man in the chair’, designing new suits for Spider-Man including a sleek white suit reminiscent of the Marvel’s Spider-Man video game. These nods to Spider-Man lore and callbacks to iconic moments across Spidey media feel like a gesture to reassure fans of the creators’ awareness of the franchise’s history but it’s a little too much as his subsequent suits, from The Hornet and Future Foundation suits, aren’t necessarily earned by this Peter, and scream fan service over everything else.
But beneath this fan service lies a formulaic story that fails to bring anything fresh to the table. Much of the runtime is spent on Peter experimenting with his newfound powers in predictable trial-and-error sequences. These moments may retain some charm, but ultimately feel outdated and repetitive, offering little that hasn’t already been explored in earlier iterations of Spider-Man’s origin. Norman sees Peter’s potential but also his naivety, and tries to guide him with a mix of tough love, humour, and genuine concern. But as an audience, we know of the complex relationship between Norman and Peter, and the juxtaposition of Norman as Tony’s replacement feels like a preview of a rug that were made to stand on, that we know will eventually be pulled out from under us. Their relationship is a blend of father-son, teacher-student, and colleagues, with Domingo delivering a performance that captures Norman’s internal conflict and growing bond with Peter. After all, Norman has secrets of his own that won’t come to light till the later episodes.
Surrounding Peter with a large ensemble of characters has its advantages but also creates significant challenges. On the positive side, it allows him to play off of characters like Nico, Harry, Lonnie, and Norman, and avoid feeling isolated in his superhero journey. On the other hand, the sheer number of subplots (Peter learning to be Spider-Man, working with Norman, juggling his friendships, managing high school, and investigating the Scorpion gang…) makes the show feel bloated. This leaves core characters relegated to the sidelines. For one thing, Aunt May is seen, mentioned and well, disregarded. Heck, even a key moment where Norman drops by to look for Peter is lifted entirely from the MCU, when Tony chats with May, with an oblivious Peter entering the home not realising his future is about to change. Others, like the early introduction of his rogue of villains, from Doctor Octopus, Scorpion, Chameleon, Venom and Tombstone so early in his life isn’t just about introducing them too early – their use makes it seem that the show is also trying hard to differentiate itself from other adaptations by introducing some lesser known villains.

And then there are the many other callbacks to the MCU – Captain America is referenced and Iron Man even makes an appearance, but get this – the Aluminium Avenger shows up, with the Avengers theme from the MCU playing, but the suit he’s wearing is from the 70s, as a throwback to Peter’s younger days. Yet, Captain America is wearing his more modern comic costume from the recent Avengers run by Jonathan Hickman. Yes, we love the multiple references to the MCU, of the Chitauri attack in New York and the Sokovia Accords, and the call backs but they are a tad inconsistent and a reminder that this is part of the MCU multiverse, but this is a wholly different not yet Amazing Spider-Man.
Therein lies the problem – with Spiderverse and Ultimate Spider-Man and much more already exploring different versions of the wall crawler, the creators here are stuck, at trying to introduce a new spin that seems fresh, is different from what has come before, but still needs to be familiar to casual audiences. The result is a complex web of the familiar that seems more lazy than creative.
Peter may be the central focus, but the constant shift of attention to other characters and plotlines dilutes the impact of his journey. Expecting viewers to endure multiple disjointed subplots before offering a semblance of coherence by the time the final episode rolls around doesn’t feel like a satisfying reward. The introduction of certain legacy characters doesn’t feel earned and are more forced than anything and there’s an underlying sense that the series is biding its time, hoping to lay the foundation for future seasons to expand upon. With renewals already in place for Seasons 2 and 3, there’s room to hope that the show might grow into something more engaging. As for the new origin story, the show does change something that messes with the lore somewhat – it’s not a deal breaker but it re-contextualises how special Spider-Man is.

Perhaps the most divisive aspect of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is its animation style. While the 3D cel-shaded animation pays homage to the retro aesthetic of early Spider-Man comics, the execution feels somewhat lacking. Transitions between animations are often awkward, and the backgrounds are static and lifeless, creating a jarring contrast with the characters in motion. Watching Peter interact with Nico or engage in battles against gangs becomes distracting when the lackluster animation undermines the stakes. It’s a shame, as the show’s attempt to capture a classic comic book style is admirable, but the animation falls short of the standards set by other contemporary animated series, particularly those produced by Disney.
For all its good intentions, the show struggles to justify its existence in an already crowded Spider-Verse. Instead of redefining or refreshing the beloved character, it treads water, relying on nostalgia and familiar beats without bringing almost anything new to the table. The one thing is tries to do occurs at the end of the season, in the last moments of the final episode and you almost feel the writers reaching deep down to the bottom of their creative barrel to pull something out that they hope will stick longer than Spidey’s web.

If anything, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man feels like a placeholder, an underwhelming filler episode stretched into a full season, simply because Marvel and Disney know that there is enough demand for Spider-Man content. It’s not unwatchable, but in a world teeming with Spider-Man stories, this one fails to swing high enough.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly.
GEEK REVIEW SCORE
Summary
It’s a passable addition to Spider-Man’s media catalogue, but Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man never truly swings into greatness, instead settling for being an uninspired rehash of stories fans already know by heart.
Overall
5.3/10-
Story - 5/10
5/10
-
Direction - 6/10
6/10
-
Characterisation - 5/10
5/10
-
Geek Satisfaction - 5/10
5/10