Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

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 one of the television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios Animation, and explores Peter Parker's origin story and early days as Spider-Man. The series is set in an alternate timeline where Norman Osborn becomes Parker's mentor instead of Tony Stark. Trammell serves as head writer.

Hudson Thames voices Parker, reprising the role from the Marvel Studios Animation series What If...? (2021–present), with Eugene Byrd, Grace Song, Hugh Dancy, Kari Wahlgren, Zeno Robinson, Charlie Cox, and Paul F. Tompkins also 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 debut on Disney+ in 2024, as part of Phase Five of the MCU. A second season is in development.

Premise
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.

Cast and characters

 * Hudson Thames as Peter Parker / Spider-Man: A 15-year-old who gained spider-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Thames reprises the role from Marvel Studios Animation's What If...? (2021–present).
 * Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln
 * Grace Song as Nico Minoru
 * Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius
 * Kari Wahlgren as May Parker: Peter's aunt.
 * Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn
 * Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil: A blind lawyer from Hell's Kitchen who leads a double life as the vigilante Daredevil.
 * Paul F. Tompkins as Bentley Whittman

Development
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 and executive producer. Stu Livingston is an episode director, and Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum is another executive producer. 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.

Writing
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 Captain America: Civil War (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". 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.

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, which leads to Parker meeting other unexpected characters.

Casting and voice recording
In July 2022, Charlie Cox was revealed to be reprising his role from previous MCU media as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, while, Paul F. Tompkins was set as the voice of Bentley Whittman. Other characters confirmed to be appearing in the series included Norman Osborn, Harry Osborn, Dr. Stephen Strange, Nico Minoru, Lonnie Lincoln, Amadeus Cho, Pearl Pangan, Parker's aunt May, Jean Foucault, Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus, Chameleon, Mac Gargan / Scorpion, Rhino, Tarantula, Butane, Speed Demon, Carmela Black, and Unicorn. Cox recorded his lines in 2021 during breaks in filming his appearance on the live-action MCU series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).

In September 2023, a United States Copyright Office filing for the series revealed that Hudson Thames was voicing Parker, after doing so in What If...?, and that Eugene Byrd voices Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song voices Nico Minoru, Hugh Dancy voices Otto Octavius, Kari Wahlgren voices May Parker, Zeno Robinson voices Harry Osborn.

Animation
The series will feature an 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 "beetle" costume, a yellow suit, a dark suit, a "classic 60s" red and blue suit, and a white and blue Oscorp suit.

Music
Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson were revealed to be composing the series' score in June 2024.

Marketing
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. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is expected to be part of Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2024 D23 Expo.

Release
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be released on Disney+ in 2024. A filing for the first episode with the United States Copyright Office indicates an approximate release on November 2, 2024.