In recent years, fans have seen many different takes on the beloved web-slinger, from the different iterations of Spider-Man, to his role in the Avengers. However, neither the MCU or the SSU have yet explored a spider-man breaking away from the Marvel canon.
Now, Marvel is introducing a fresh animated take on the character with ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’, set to debut on Disney+.
In ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’, Norman Osborn Will Mentor Peter Parker Instead Of Being His Foe
New details about ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ reveal it won’t take place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with Animation Magazine, showrunner of the animated series Jeff Trammell explained the reasoning behind this choice.
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He emphasized the storytelling possibilities of setting the series in an alternate timeline. “I’m a huge fan of the MCU Spider-Man films, but if our show existed in the main MCU timeline, we would be severely limited in the types of stories we could tell,” Trammell shared.
Instead, the show exists in a “sister timeline” where Norman Osborn serves as Peter’s mentor. “Taking place in a sister timeline one universe over allows us quite a bit more freedom and helps us tell stories that don’t necessarily have to go down a familiar route,” Trammell added.
Moreover, the show aims to showcase Spider-Man’s highs and lows, revealing both his victories and his losses. “We wanted to show Spidey not just at his peak but also in his valleys, which will hopefully make him a more adept hero in the long run.” So, fans can expect an entirely different take on the Web-Slinger.
Marvel TV Head Reveals Why ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Left MCU Canon Behind
Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum also shed light on the decision to make ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ exist outside MCU canon. In an interview with Phase Hero, Winderbaum revealed that the constraints of aligning the series with the MCU quickly became too restrictive.
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“It started as, ‘Can we make this fit in the MCU?’” Winderbaum explained. “But very early in the process, we realized how many limitations that would place on the story. We couldn’t use Peter’s full rogues gallery, we couldn’t touch his origin story, and it honestly wasn’t fun. We wanted to create something fresh, but trying to lock it into canon just felt like we were boxing ourselves in.”
Additionally, the struggle to align Peter Parker’s timeline with Tom Holland’s live-action Spider-Man became a significant obstacle. “Every project I’ve worked on has had a life of its own. At some point, you have to let it evolve and live its own life,” Winderbaum said. Despite the series’ departure from MCU continuity, Winderbaum reassured fans that it still embodies the essence of Spider-Man.
He revealed that Spider-Man in ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man‘ draws inspiration from both Tom Holland’s portrayal and Steve Ditko’s original vision for the character. Moreover, the decision to place the series in an alternate timeline has allowed the creative team to take bold new approaches.
