Brad Winderbaum Reveals Why ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Is Not Part of the MCU Anymore

At first, Marvel Animation’s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was introduced as a prequel tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, filling in the gaps between Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. That announcement sparked excitement since it promised a closer look at Peter Parker’s early days, from gaining his powers to working as a low-tech vigilante before Iron Man stepped in with a game-changing suit.

However, it was later confirmed that the series would be set in its own universe, separate from the MCU. This version of Spider-Man takes on classic foes like Chameleon, Scorpion, and Doctor Octopus, with Norman Osborn stepping into the mentor role traditionally held by Tony Stark in the movies.

The show also highlights Peter’s various costumes and aims to deliver something visually and narratively unique. Marvel Television’s Brad Winderbaum revealed that sticking to MCU canon created too many challenges, which is why the series was ultimately removed from the MCU.

‘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 concluded.

Instead, the team embraced creative freedom. While the series echoes Tom Holland’s portrayal and nods to the MCU, it draws heavily from Steve Ditko’s classic comics. Winderbaum emphasized 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’ve been better, particularly to explore Peter’s origins. Still, this standalone approach could offer fresh storytelling opportunities. Whether it will rival Spider-Man: The Animated Series or The Spectacular Spider-Man remains to be seen.

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

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