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. A second season is in 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).[6][7][8] The next month, these were said to be in various stages of development and were not expected to debut until at least 2023.[9]Spider-Man: Freshman Year was announced during the Disney+ Day event in November 2021, with Jeff Trammell serving as head writer and executive producer.[1] Stu Livingston is an episode director,[10][third-party source needed] and Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum is another executive producer.[11]: 22 [needs update] 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".[12] The series was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by December 2023.[13] A second season was announced in July 2022, then titled Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.[12]
Writing
Charlie Neuner serves as a staff writer.[14] The series depicts the origin story of Peter Parker / Spider-Man, which was never explored in detail in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films;[3]Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated in 2015 that they decided to not retell the character's origin in Captain America: Civil War (2016),[15] which was the character's first MCU appearance,[3] 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".[15] Trammell said the series would explore Parker's identity pre-Spider-Man and how his superhero career began.[5] 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.[16]
Details revealed in July 2022 suggested the series was set in an alternate timeline from the main MCU continuity,[17] 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.[2]
The series will feature an animation style that pays homage to the early The Amazing Spider-Man comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.[1] Animation is provided by Polygon Pictures.[21]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.[22]
Music
Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson were revealed to be composing the series' score in June 2024.[23]
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.[5] The series was featured in a sizzle reel of Marvel Studios Animation's 2024 series in December 2023.[13]
Release
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be released on Disney+ in 2024.[13][24] A filing for the first episode with the United States Copyright Office indicates an approximate release on November 2, 2024.[25]
^Lee, Chris (January 13, 2023). "Inside the VFX Union Brewing in Hollywood". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023. Alonso heads up Marvel's dedicated "mini-studio," Marvel Studios Animation, which is behind such shows as What If ...? [...] and the summer 2022 series of Vin Diesel–voiced original shorts, I Am Groot.