Marvel’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has ended its 10-episode first season on Disney+, setting up an already in development season two. The new animated series stars Hudson Thames, Zeno Robinson, Eugene Byrd, Grace Song, Colman Domingo, Hugh Dancy, and more. The series was long in development at Marvel Studios, being announced nearly four years ago, and has premiered to great reviews, boasting an incredibly high 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, but does Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man live up to its rating?
[Warning: Spoilers for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1 below!]
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a great remix of Homecoming
As the audience has known for quite some time, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man pulls many of its introductory tropes from the MCU film Spider-Man: Homecoming. Peter Parker is quickly introduced to Norman Osborn in a scene that mirrors Peter and Tony Stark’s introduction in Captain America: Civil War. This time around, Peter works for Oscorp instead of his “internship” with Tony Stark.
While the scene is a 1:1 adaption of the way Peter and Tony Stark meet, it sets Peter down a much more interesting path in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Getting used to Peter and Tony’s relationship took some time and many fans didn’t quite acclimate to the way Spider-Man was utilized in the MCU, as the character was occasionally referenced as “Iron Boy Jr.” by some within the fandom. While post-Endgame Peter Parker came into his own as Spider-Man thanks to the help of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men, this rendition of Peter Parker goes through the evolutions of Spider-Man that feel a bit more authentic to the comics at a much earlier point in his tenure as the wall-crawler.
Colman Domingo’s Norman Osborn is the standout in the series
Colman Domingo continues his epic ascension to stardom with a great voice acting performance. Spider-Man’s greatest nemesis is Norman Osborn, and season one surprisingly plays the long game with Osborn, sprinkling in some of his darker half here and there throughout the season. Throughout much of season one, we the audience are meant to believe that this rendition of Osborn is here to help Peter and his quick development as Spider-Man.
Some people have compared the secret Oscorp team helping Spider-Man to the CW show The Flash, and while there are some similarities, both entities feel significantly different. Getting both Norman and Harry Osborn involved early on is a smart decision by the writing team, as the Osborn’s have always felt like integral characters to the mythos of Spider-Man and were sorely missing from the Homecoming trilogy. The development of the friendship trio between Peter Parker, Nico Minoru, and Harry Osborn is another highlight of the season and gives the show a similarly grounded foundation felt throughout the MCU’s Homecoming trilogy.
Colman Domingo and Hugh Dancy are likely the right choices for live action Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus
While we just got both Green Goblin and Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel has to already be thinking ahead towards the future. Green Goblin and Doc Ock in No Way Home were both previously well established and only served a short-term purpose. Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius deserve long-running storylines in the MCU, and it can be assumed that Marvel understands that. After all, Norman Osborn has become much more than just a Spider-Man adversary in the comics.
Like Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Val, Norman Osborn is a major benefactor in the comics and even goes on to fund the Dark Avengers and manage the Thunderbolts. Dark Reign and Siege are two significant eras in Marvel Comics, and gives the character of Norman Osborn a much longer shelf life than just being a Spider-Man villain. Throughout much of season one of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel utilizes Osborn in similar ways that he is throughout his Benefactor era in Marvel Comics. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a future MCU Norman Osborn run for Mayor against Mayor Fisk.
Hugh Dancy’s brief vocal performance as Otto Octavius also makes him an ideal candidate for live action Doctor Octopus within the MCU. Along with his definitive voice, the strife between Osborn and Otto in season one of the series showcases the potential long-term storyline that can be utilized in live action. A tech war between Otto and Osborn in the MCU is an exciting prospect, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Peter Parker potentially have a college internship with Otto Octavius or Norman Osborn, like we’ve seen before.
The origin story of Tombstone is the most underrated highlight of the first season
One of the more unexpected but underrated storylines from season one is Lonnie Lincoln’s ascension to becoming the Spider-Man villain Tombstone. A sad but relatable story, Lonnie Lincoln sacrifices his football career and his future to save his little brother from joining a gang, taking his place as a member of 110th street gang. Before season one of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, many fans had no idea that the character of Lonnie Lincoln was actually Tombstone. The usage of Lonnie Lincoln is a great way to showcase Spider-Man characters who have been underutilized in both live action and animation.
While Lonnie becomes Tombstone in season one, he doesn’t quite become a Spider-Man Villain just yet. As a matter of fact, we see Lonnie helping Spider-Man more so than anything, as they sort of become acquaintances. Whether Tombstone develops into a true villain for Spider-Man still remains to be seen, as the true intentions of the character don’t seem to be revealed just yet. Lonnie now has his super strength, something that would pose a serious threat to Peter if he were ever to oppose Tombstone.
Final thoughts on Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1
Overall, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a great re-introduction to Peter Parker and has garnered enough attention to hopefully run for at least three or four seasons. The characterization of both Norman Osborn and Lonnie Lincoln are the clear standouts of season one, and the dynamics developed throughout the entire cast of characters sets up season two well.
Did you enjoy season one of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man? Let us know what you think on social media @mycosmiccircus or @TheCosmicCircus.com on Bluesky!
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