Marvel Animation Studios’ newest Spider-Man series asks the question “who is Spider-Man without the mask?”
Following the life of high school freshman Peter Parker (voiced by Hudson Thames), Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man explores the journey that Peter must embark on to become a hero, and intends to put a fresh spin on a long-beloved character. Spider-Man first appeared in Marvel comics 62 years ago, and showrunner Jeff Trammell feels confident that the story being told in this all-new super series is a fresh take on an old story.
“We spend a lot more time with Peter in our series,” Trammell said. “A lot of the previous Spider-Man shows have been very Spider-Man focused, but for this, I felt like it was important to see who’s behind the mask and how that influences who Spidey is as a hero.” While Peter’s Aunt May remains a constant in his life, the very nature of being a superhero means that change is also a constant; with Spider-Man meeting a cast of characters who come and go from his day-to-day life, like Doctor Strange, Daredevil, Otto Octavius, and Chameleon. But Spider-Man lives two lives, and exactly who Peter Parker is is influenced by more than his super friends and foes. As Peter, friends like Norman Osborn, Nico Minoru, Lonnie Lincoln, Pearl Pangan, and Harry Osborn shape who he becomes as a hero and a young adult, and contribute to the ever-changing landscape of life that all high school freshmen deal with (even without the super powers!).
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s first season is set to be ten episodes long, with new episodes rolling out every Wednesday on Disney+.
In addition to the release schedule and the behind-the-scenes look at the series, Disney has also provided Theme Park Shark with an interview with cast Trammell and Thames, as they tease what’s in store for everyone’s favorite web-head.
Question: What makes Peter Parker — and Spider-Man — such a compelling character?
Jeff Trammell: “He has a lot of heart. He cares a lot. He feels like the awkward kid or the class clown, but at the end of the day, he’s always looking to do what he can to help people. I’m always trying to figure out, What is going to make Peter feel the most realistic? It’s how much he cares about these people in these situations and about doing the right thing. Even if someone is doing the wrong thing, he has the heart to see that they’re a victim of circumstance or of a bad decision, but it doesn’t necessarily make you a bad guy.”
Hudson Thames: “It’s very refreshing to play a character who sees the best in everyone and everything all the time — who is just so hopeful. I think that reminder really resonates with people. He tries to look at the glass as half-full, and that challenges people to do the same. We all know Peter is always being dealt the most brutal of hands — but I think the fact that he always tries to be really good to the people in his life is very inspiring.”
Question: Hudson, you first voiced Spider-Man in a 2021 episode of What If…?, Marvel Animation’s first series for Disney+. What’s it been like to get to voice the character in a full season?
Hudson Thames: “Spider-Man was always my favorite Super Hero growing up; he’s who I resonated with the most. When I did What If…?, I remember thinking, ‘How do I semi-copy what Tom Holland did [in live-action] and honor what people know his Spider-Man to be to be?’ Before this show, there was a moment where I thought I needed to rewatch what Tom, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield did — their game tapes. But, pretty quickly I realized, ‘No, that’s not [the best approach].’ Everyone did a great job of making their Spider-Man as personal as possible performance-wise, because it’s really about bringing it back to how optimistic and helpful Peter Parker is. And with this show, I was lucky enough to have the time to dive in and figure out how to add my own voice to Peter’s. It was such a privilege.”
Question: Jeff, how did you push the limits of animation to create the series’ aesthetic? It clearly draws inspiration from Disney Legend Jack Kirby, but there are other creative choices — like a long tracking shot normally only seen in live-action — that feel fresh and new.
Jeff Trammell: “Our lead character designer, Leonardo Romero, has a knack for taking that very classic art style and modernizing it. There are so many talented people on our team and on the Marvel Studios Vis Dev team, too. We also worked with our vendor studios, Polygon Pictures in Tokyo and CGCG in Taipei, to create a really interesting mixture of 3-D, CG with a 2D look. It’s given us the opportunity to sort of bring the comic books to life. They’ve been really innovative, and we’ve been able to work together to make something really special. And I think it stands out amongst 60 years of different Spider-Man incarnations.”
Question: The series has already been greenlit for more episodes, and the Season 1 finale sets up surprising storylines for nearly every character. Which are you most excited to explore?
Jeff Trammell: “A lot of those teases are there because they’re all so exciting to explore. I look at Season 1 like we’re building this world and we’re setting the board. In Season 2 and future seasons, now we’re playing the game. That’s really exciting to me — to dig into those stories and see where we can push this universe even further now that we’ve earned the trust and the love of the fans with these characters. We can take them on a bigger journey.”
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man premiered January 29th, and its first season will run through February 19th, 2025, with its two-episode season finale. Fans can catch all the web-swinging action on Disney+, and check out the first eight minutes of the first episode, provided by Marvel Entertainment’s official YouTube channel!
