For Disney Plus Day on November 12th, the streaming service released new information on several upcoming projects, including new TV series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Most of the shows that were covered had already been announced (Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, et cetera), but there was also one newly announced MCU project that took fans by surprise — Spider-Man: Freshman Year, a new animated series.
According to the official announcement on Marvel.com, Spider-Man: Freshman Year “follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we've ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots.” The same announcement also revealed that the series will be written by Jeff Trammel, best known for his work on other popular animated series like Craig of the Creek, The Owl House, and Amphibia. Additionally, comic artist Leonardo Romero announced on Twitter that he’s working as the character designer for the series.
A Brand New Origin
The initial announcement doesn’t reveal much about the plot of Freshman Year or what characters will be involved. However, it’s clear that the series will focus on the origin of the MCU’s Peter Parker, exploring how he first became Spider-Man. While Tom Holland’s take on Peter is still a high schooler at this point, his earliest days as a hero have yet to be depicted on screen, making him the only live-action Spider-Man whose origin story hasn’t been adapted to film.
Back in the days of Spidey’s MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, many fans were relieved that Peter would already be active as a hero during his first appearance. After all, Spider-Man’s origin story had already been prominently featured in both the original Spider-Man film and The Amazing Spider-Man — not to mention plenty of cartoon adaptations. As such, the general consensus was that the wall-crawler’s origin was so well-known already that there would be no point in adapting it for a third time in under 15 years.
But since then, a vocal minority of Spider-Man fans has expressed vehement dismay with how the MCU has handled the character of Peter Parker. In particular, many purists dislike the fact that Uncle Ben’s presence has been completely absent from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Even though Ben Parker would naturally be long-dead at this point in the MCU, the total lack of acknowledgment towards him doesn’t sit well with some fans. In their eyes, Uncle Ben is the biggest reason Peter Parker became Spider-Man, both because of his tragic death and his status as an inspiring role model for Peter. And while the MCU’s lack of focus on Uncle Ben does reflect the original Stan Lee-penned comics, it’s still a jarring divergence from past Spider-Man films. As such, Freshman Year might be the refreshing, back-to-basics Spider-Man story these fans need.
Retreading Old Ground?
However, not all Marvel fans have been lamenting the MCU’s omission of Peter’s origin story. Many still believe that revisiting the same old tale of the radioactive spider bite has no purpose in the MCU when it’s become such a cliche already. Indeed, the initial announcement of Freshman Year invited plenty of jokes and memes about how yet another Spider-Man adaptation will be killing off Uncle Been for the umpteenth time.
In addition, even though Peter had already been Spider-Man for some time by the time he’s introduced in Civil War, it was clearly indicated that he had solely been stopping petty crime, not fighting supervillains. It isn’t until Spider-Man: Homecoming that Peter faces his first real nemesis in the form of the Vulture. As a result, it’s highly unlikely that any new villains will be featured in Freshman Year — at least not any well-known ones. After all, all of the beloved rogues like Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and Mysterio have all been reserved for Spidey’s solo films later on in the timeline, making their appearances in a prequel series impossible.
Of course, Freshman Year also has another big story issue due to its nature as a prequel. Because it takes place before any of Peter’s film appearances, none of his relationships with his supporting cast will be anywhere near as developed as they are in the movies. Ned and Aunt May won’t know he’s Spider-Man, he won’t have any romantic chemistry with MJ or Liz, and none of his fellow superheroes will even know he exists. At the same time, it’s entirely possible that minor characters like Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, and J. Jonah Jameson, will get some more time in the spotlight. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Freshman Year, by necessity, will feature a Peter Parker with an underdeveloped supporting cast and no rogues’ gallery to speak of — not exactly a recipe for an engaging Spider-Man story.
A Tale As Old As Time
However, that doesn’t mean that the series is a guaranteed flop. After all, as cliche as the spider bite and Uncle Ben’s death are, there’s a good reason that Spider-Man’s origin has become so iconic. The story of a flawed hero who’s forced to learn humility echoes back to mythic figures like Gilgamesh and Odysseus, and has even been reused for other Marvel heroes like Thor and Doctor Strange — and of course, Iron Man. With a talented cast and crew at the helm, Freshman Year could be elevated from a tired rehash of a story everyone knows to a gripping character study that captures the nuance of Peter Parker while perfectly setting up his development in the MCU.
Of course, it’s difficult to predict how the show will turn out when the only material to judge it by is a logo and a one-sentence synopsis. It’s possible that it could surprise the skeptics and be a worthy addition to MCU Spidey’s story, but it could very well be a mediocre disappointment as well. Only time will tell whether Spider-Man: Freshman Year is loved or hated by fans.