Some Spider-Man fans take issue with the MCU take on Peter Parker despite his movies being financial and critical successes. They feel Tony Stark acting as a mentor to the teen vigilante is antithetical to Peter’s outsider status. The writers behind Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man seem to share this belief, as the show offers a What If?-style take on how the story might have played out. It also introduces several classic Marvel Comics villains in the process.
From the very beginning, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man seemed to play off the MCU for inspiration. The first episode ended with a fake-out, with Norman Osborn being the billionaire scientist seemingly impressed with Peter Parker’s work instead of Tony Stark. That theme continues into the second wave of episodes, with Norman having deduced that Peter is the web-slinging superhero. Far from having sinister intentions, Osborn wants to thank the hero who saved his son’s life. However, he does have an ulterior motive.
These episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man play out at the same time as a schism within the Avengers that evokes the airport battle in the MCU Civil War. Reference is also made to the Avengers creating Ultron and the Sokovia Accords. All of this inspires Norman Osborn to foster “heroes who will take accountability for their actions and live up to what they represent.” He sees Peter as the “first in a new generation of heroes” and wants to help him be better.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man redefines villains while honoring comic book influences
This intentionally mimics the relationship between Peter and Iron Man in the MCU. However, it is also a neat twist on how Norman and Peter were developed in other media. It also evokes the classic comics, where Norman was portrayed as brilliant but paranoid. These episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man show how Norman could have easily been introduced into the MCU as a rival to Tony Stark. It also shows how he could have set up his own Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts teams.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man takes a similar tack with its version of Doctor Octopus. Episode 5 reveals Dr. Otto Octavius to be behind the advanced technology being used by various petty criminals. However, Otto is no agent of chaos. He just wants the money and recognition he feels was unjustly given to other scientists like Tony Stark and Norman Osborn. He has no qualms about his “enhancements” hurting other people so long as it secures him funding for his research.
Beyond explaining away the “villain of the week” characters the show has introduced, it also establishes Doctor Octopus as Peter Parker’s true nemesis. While Peter ignores wealth and fame and uses his power to help others selflessly, Otto cares only about himself. However, this subplot also shows how Doctor Octopus might have seamlessly been added to the MCU.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episodes 3, 4, and 5 are now streaming on Disney+.
