Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Review: Ahead of the premiere of the first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, an interview with Peter Parker’s voice actor, Hudson Thames, went viral. In it, he admitted that he initially feared the show would be 'woke' and was relieved it didn’t turn out that way. I’m not sure what his definition of 'woke' is, but Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is pretty much the embodiment of it. Even though the main lead is your classic white boy, the show embraces diverse cultural representation, with several iconic Spider-Man characters being race-swapped or gender-swapped. ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Trailer: Young Peter Parker Balances School and Superhero Life in Marvel’s Animated Prequel Series.

Take Nico (Grace Song), for example - a Japanese-American teenager (who, in Marvel Comics, is also a superpowered member of Runaways). She replaces the MCU’s Ned Leeds as Peter Parker’s best friend and is also a lesbian. Norman Osborn (voiced by the great Colman Domingo) is now an African-American tycoon, meaning his son, Harry Osborn (Zeno Robinson), is as well. One of the series' most subtle yet powerful moments features a young African-American high schooler walking home, his sombre journey hinting at racial struggles without overt explanation.

So, if character changes like these trigger the incel within you, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man might not be your cup of tea. But if you’re willing to set aside racial biases, the first two episodes prove to be a highly enjoyable watch.

Watch the Trailer of 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man':

The first episode focuses on Peter Parker’s origin story, shaking things up from what we’ve seen before. Not only does he lose his dream of attending Midtown High and is forced to enrol in a different school, but he also gets bitten by an interdimensional spider, thanks to Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes). Even his iconic spider bite happens under new circumstances. Interestingly, the next time we see him, Peter Parker has already accepted changes in his life - his school has changed and he has accepted his superpowers, swinging around New York in his crudely created superhero suit and saving people from thefts.

A Still From Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

We also meet his bestie, Nico, his former babysitter-turned-crush, Pearl (Cathy Ang), and her football jock boyfriend, Lonnie Lincoln (Eugene Byrd). Unlike Flash Thompson, Lonnie isn’t your typical high school bully, and his dynamic with Peter is one of the show’s more surprising elements - easily making him a standout character. Though I am not sure he will be this nice when the season ends, Spider-Man fans know what this character will eventually turn intoSpider-Man Across the Spider-Verse Movie Review: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld’s Marvel Film is a Triumph of Animation with Lots of Spidey Goodness.

The episode wraps up with a scene that pays homage to Peter Parker’s MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War - with a clever character swap.

A Still From Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

The second episode sees Peter starting an internship at Oscorp, where he meets fellow interns like haughty Amadeus Cho, Wakandan scientist-in-the-making Asha, and Jeanne Foucault (who later becomes Finesse in the comics). The episode teases cracks in Peter and Nico’s friendship while ending with a banger twist. We also see Peter face his first real supervillain, Butane - hopefully just the beginning of bigger threats to come.

A Still From Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

The show’s old-school animation is charming, though it has its quirks—Aunt May’s face, for instance, looked oddly contorted in a tearful scene that was supposed to be emotional. Despite his bizarre pre-release comments, Hudson Thames does a solid job voicing Peter Parker, and you won’t find yourself missing Tom Holland. Peter is as nerdy and awkward as ever, though thankfully, no one’s stuffing him into a locker this time.

A Still From Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

What’s more, characters like Nico, Lonnie Lincoln, Norman Osborn, Dr. Connors, and Harry Osborn all get their own moments to shine, making Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man a promising addition to Spidey’s animated legacy. Let's hope that the promise keeps swinging smoothly in the episodes ahead and the show reaches X-Men 97 calibre. The potential is there, but efforts have to be consistently seen ahead.

'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' Review -  Final Thoughts

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man takes some bold swings with its character choices and storytelling, and for the most part, it sticks the landing. It’s fresh, fun, and packed with heart, giving Peter Parker a new yet familiar spin while letting supporting characters shine. The first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are streaming in India on Disney+ Hotstar.

Rating:3.0

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2025 08:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).