Producer Explains Why We Won’t be Seeing MJ and Ned in ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’
Marvel Studios is about to introduce a new version of Peter Parker in their animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, set to premiere on January 29 on Disney+. The series will take place in a timeline that differs from the familiar one we’ve seen in the MCU.
Characters like Norman Osborn will be involved, but some well-known faces, like Ned and MJ, won’t be appearing.
In a recent podcast interview with The Official Marvel Podcast (see below), executive producer Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt explained why we won’t see Ned and MJ in this series.
She pointed out that this new show is based on the idea of what if Norman Osborn had been Spider-Man’s mentor instead of Tony Stark. The show will explore this alternate reality, where the MCU’s familiar events, like Civil War, played out differently due to the influence of the multiverse:
Peter Parker in this version won’t go to Midtown High like in the live-action films. Instead, the story begins after the Sokovia Accords have been signed, and Peter is about to start his first day of high school. But something happens, causing the timeline to diverge:
We’re starting at a point in the MCU where Civil War has happened, so the Sokovia Accords have been ratified so it’s modern day and then Peter gets to his first day at Midtown…then a thing happens which I’m going to try and dance around and there goes our branch. It’s a very recognizable world but Peter doesn’t end up going to Midtown. It’s a world where he never met Ned, he never met MJ.
In this world, Peter never meets Ned or MJ. Instead, he crosses paths with Nico Minoru, also known as Sister Grimm. Nico is a skilled magic user and has teamed up with Spider-Man in the comics, making her a fitting character for this alternate version of Peter’s story.
The series will have a fresh take on Peter’s early years and introduce new dynamics for the character.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
