Brad Winderbaum Explains Why ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Is No Longer in the MCU

Originally, Marvel Animation’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was introduced as a prequel connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, filling in the story between Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Fans were excited for a closer look at Peter Parker’s early days, including his powers, his work as a low-tech vigilante, and the arrival of Iron Man’s high-tech suit.

However, it was later confirmed that the series would exist in its own separate universe, not tied to the MCU. In this version, Spider-Man faces off against classic villains like Chameleon, Scorpion, and Doctor Octopus, with Norman Osborn acting as a mentor, replacing Tony Stark’s role from the films.

The show also features Peter’s various costumes, offering something visually and narratively different. Marvel Television’s Brad Winderbaum explained that sticking too closely to MCU canon created challenges, leading to the decision to make the series its own standalone story.

It started 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?” Winderbaum shared. “And very early on in the development process, we realized how locked in that actually made us. 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 added.

Instead, the team decided to embrace creative freedom. While the series may echo Tom Holland’s portrayal and nod to the MCU, it draws a lot from Steve Ditko’s classic comics. Winderbaum pointed out that every project needs room to develop its own identity, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is no exception.

Fans have debated whether a tightly connected MCU prequel would have been better, especially to explore Peter’s origins. However, this standalone approach could open up fresh storytelling possibilities. Whether it can rival shows like Spider-Man: The Animated Series or The Spectacular Spider-Man is yet to be seen.

The series will debut on Disney+ on January 29, 2025, featuring stars like Hudson Thames, Colman Domingo, Eugene Byrd, Grace Song, Zeno Robinson, Hugh Dancy, and Charlie Cox. Jeff Trammell is the head writer, with Mel Zwyer as supervising director. The producers include Kevin Feige, Brad Winderbaum, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, and Trammell.

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