Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man will be seen in another MCU project in 2025

Marvel Studios’ latest animated series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, has been making waves, but not entirely for the reasons the creators had hoped.

Originally titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year, the series was initially planned as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), exploring Peter Parker’s early days. However, Marvel ultimately decided to remove it from the MCU’s continuity.

Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s Head of TV and Streaming, revealed that keeping the show within MCU canon became too restrictive.

"It started out as 'Okay it’s Spider-Man’s freshman year, he’s going to be a freshman, can we get away with this being entirely in the MCU?' and very early on in the development process, we realized how locked in that actually made us,’ Winderbaum said. ‘We couldn’t really use his rogues gallery, we couldn’t really use his origin. It was not fun, honestly. We would’ve had to put so many limiters on our story to get it to lock into canon," he said.

Marvel’s decision to separate Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man from the MCU was already a big discussion point among fans. However, another issue quickly took over the conversation: comments made by Hudson Thames, the actor voicing Peter Parker in the series.

During an interview with Collider, Thames shared his initial thoughts about the show before he fully understood its direction. He admitted:

"At first, I thought it was going to be annoying and woke."

This statement immediately sparked controversy online.

The word "woke" has become a divisive term in recent years. Some people use it to describe media that pushes for inclusivity and social awareness, while others use it as an insult against shows or movies they believe are trying too hard to send a political message.

By saying he feared the show would be “annoying and woke,” Thames unintentionally offended some fans who saw his words as dismissive or negative toward diversity in entertainment.

Critics argued that his comment played into unnecessary culture war debates, while others defended him, saying he was just expressing an honest first impression.

Lead voice actor Hudson Thames found himself at the center of controversy after making remarks about the show’s tone. However, Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man will be seen in another MCU project in 2025, with Thames continuing to voice Spider-Man in Marvel Zombies.

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What's in store for MCU fans?

Marvel Studios has removed actors before, but usually after their projects are completed. A recent example is Jonathan Majors, who was fired after being found guilty of assault and harassment.

However, this decision came after Loki Season 2, where he played a major role. If Marvel were to replace Thames, it would probably happen after Marvel Zombies is released.

Unlike Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies, which were deeply connected to the MCU and the Avengers, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man feels like a return to classic animated shows. Many fans have compared it to The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008), a beloved but short-lived series.

While Holland’s Spider-Man often felt like an Avenger-in-training, this new show balances Peter’s high school struggles with his superhero life in a way that’s relatable to younger audiences. It also tackles mature themes but keeps them accessible for kids.

Despite the controversy, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has received positive reviews and is considered a step above What If...?. Fans can expect to see this version of Spider-Man again in another MCU project in 2025.

Stay tuned with Soap Central for more updates!