When it comes to Marvel Comics or movies, Spider-Man is often considered the frontman of the entire franchise. For the longest time, we have seen multiple adaptations of the character, be it animated or live-action with each of them having a fandom. However, in 2024, a new Spider-Man animated series, ‘Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man‘ is set to release and what’s interesting is that this series has changed the age-old origin story of Spider-Man, but is it a good idea? Let’s talk about it.
What Is Spider-Man’s Origin in Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man
The animated Spider-Man series was announced in 2021 with the working title of Spider-Man: Freshman Year. However, the title was later changed to Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man. Clips from the upcoming show were displayed at the D23 Expo where the fans got to see that Spider-Man got his powers not because of a radioactive spider but because of magic.
In the clip, Peter Parker is on his first day at Midtown High and a portal opens out of which falls Doctor Strange and the monster he is fighting. However, along with them, a spider falls out as well biting Peter Parker and giving him all his powers. This new origin story replaces the scientific factor of Spider-Man’s powers and replaces it with magic giving him a whole new origin.
Has Spider-Man’s Origin Ever Been Changed Before
If we talk about comic books, Spider-Man has had numerous origins with his alternative versions in alternative timelines. For instance, Spider-Man Noir was never bitten by a radioactive spider. In his story, he is a detective looking for information when he stumbles upon an artifact that breaks open and a swarm of spiders come out of it biting Peter. He falls unconscious and sees a spider god who gives him powers rooting Spider-Man’s origin into supernatural powers.
However, in animation and live-action, Spider-Man’s origin has never been altered like this. Sure, the Spider-Verse movies gave it to us as side stories but we have never seen this happening as a primary storyline. This is going to be the first time we are going to see Spider-Man have an alternate origin story on screen.
So, Is It a Good Idea to Change Spider-Man’s Origin
For the longest time, live-action Spider-Man, or the animated version, has always had the same origin story, Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gets his powers. The change in Spider-Man’s origin might come as a setback for the fans who became fans of the character without reading the comic books. However, people who have been following the comic books, already know that Spider-Man has multiple origins in multiple comic book runs.
It has already been confirmed that Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is going to be a part of MCU’s phase 5, also known as the Multiverse Saga. This brings us to the point that this Spider-Man is part of an alternative timeline and I’m not just saying this out of a hunch but at D23, it was confirmed that Norman Osborn is a good guy and the mentor of Spider-Man while in the main continuity, he turns into the Green Goblin and he’s a villain.
Now that Spider-Man appearing in Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is from an alternative timeline, it kind of makes sense to have an alternative origin as well. This is quite contrary to the newly released Batman: Caped Crusader’s gender-swapped female Penguin, whose existence does not have a defined and valid reason.
Now you may ask, does this version of Spider-Man affect the broader perspective of the MCU? Well, the answer to that is kind of yes or maybe no. This series is a part of MCU phase 5 but as far as the current timeline and releases that are lined up for MCU, it’s really difficult for this version of Spider-Man to appear in any other projects. However, since this is the multiverse, possibilities are endless. So, I guess we will have to wait till the series comes out to find out answers.
So, is it a good idea to change Spidey’s origin? I think yes, simply because, all the versions of Spider-Man we have seen so far, even from alternative timelines, have had the same origin. This is not like other superheroes. Superheroes we have seen appearing from different timelines usually have different origins and seeing that happen with Spider-Man for the very first time on the screen is something that makes sense. So, that’s my take on it, what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments and stay tuned!
