Was Jessica Jones supposed to be in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man? Explored

The much-anticipated animated show Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is finally here, and fans were absolutely right with the early reactions. Within a few minutes into the first episode, Peter Parker's journey as Spider-Man begins after a portal drops Doctor Strange and an alien symbiote in front of Parker's high school.

The teenager was supposed to attend the orientation as a freshman at Midtown High and begin as a high-schooler, but a spider dropping from the portal changed Peter's life. The show also introduces viewers to other characters like Nico Minoru, whom Peter saved from the alien symbiote.

From her name to her appearance, Nico seems cool and friendly. But what if we tell you she wasn't always planned to be cast alongside Peter? That's correct. As explained by showrunner Jeff Trammell, the team originally considered using Jessica Jones in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

However, Nico fits better into the narrative and was finalized to be the character alongside Peter Parker at his school. The makers aimed to feature characters who would work well within the unique version of Spider-Man’s story, as the new animated show goes beyond the typical narrative seen in most of the shows.

Continue reading to learn more about the showrunner's comments on Nico's casting.

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Jessica Jones almost appeared in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Marvel enthusiasts must have watched the first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and witnessed Nico Minoru becoming Parker's first pal at Midtown High. While the two didn't get to attend the orientation, they do become friends and are expected to have a strong bond until the end.

Nico also learns about Peter's first crush and is seen teasing him about being babysit at 11. The two are gradually becoming good friends, but before Nico, it was young Jessica Jones who was initially planned to show up in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

As previously mentioned, this revelation came from showrunner Jeff Trammell in an interview with ComicBook on January 28, 2025. Trammell said:

"There was another character that we considered... It was kind of like, for this story we want to tell, we need certain characters to fit these roles. And for me, I love Nico. I love Runaways."

He continued:

"In terms of who Peter’s classmate was almost going to be, we had a lot of conversation about, de-aging, Jessica Jones and using her in that spot."

The showrunner aimed to feature characters he loved, including Nico, Jeanne Foucault, and Amadeus Cho, and to introduce them to a wider audience. While adding Jessica was just a part of early discussions, her story in the show would have been quite different from Nico's.

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The story in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man so far: Episodes 1 and 2 recap

The story kicks off with Peter Parker getting late for his high school orientation, followed by Aunt May driving him to the school. Soon after Parker says, "How bad could this possibly go?" the portal opens, unleashing an alien symbiote followed by Doctor Strange taking care of the creature.

Their intense fight heavily damaged Midtown High, and as the portal closes, a spider drops on Peter's back and bites him. Just when Nico induced herself, the spider bit him, and Peter passed out.

Within a few months, Peter takes on his hidden role as Spider-Man and begins his high school journey at Rockford T. Bales High. As Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episode 1 progresses, Peter is seen saving Harry Osborn from some muggers and even stopping a runaway van from hitting a bus.

At school, Peter gets paired up with Lonnie Lincoln as his science partner. Apart from being an excellent student, Lonnie is also dating Pearl Pangan, the girl who used to babysit Peter and ultimately became his crush.

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Before Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episode 1 ends, Peter Parker is astonished to see Norman Osborn, the CEO of Oscorp, waiting for him. The next episodes begin right after that, and Osborn offers Peter a spot in Oscorp’s internship program.

As Peter steps into the role as an intern, he meets Asha, Amadeus Cho, and Jean Foucault. They are all assigned to different projects under Doctor Bentley Wittman, and Peter joins Doctor Carla Connor's team working on a self-sustaining battery project.

Later, Peter gets into a fight with Butane, due to which he's unable to join a party at his school. As the second episode comes to an end, Peter Parker is called into Norman Osborn’s office, where the CEO shows him security footage.

It shows Peter putting on his Spider-Man suit before preparing for his fight with Butane. This surprising moment suggests Osborn is aware of Peter Parker's biggest secret.

If you loved the recap, don't miss out on watching the next episode of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, arriving on February 5, 2025, only on Disney+

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