Is ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ In The MCU?

Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Hudson Thames) in Marvel Animation's YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.

One of the more interesting aspects of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which debuted its first two episodes yesterday (January 29) on Disney+, is the continuity of the series. While it’s got its own distinct animated look, at least at the beginning, you’re meant to think we’re watching Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Until things start to get a little weird. So is Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in the MCU? The answer is… Sort of.

Spoilers for the first two episodes past this point, but when we meet Peter Parker (Hudson Thames), he’s about to enter Midtown High, his Aunt May (Kari Wahlgren) looks a lot like Marisa Tomei, and it sure seems like we’re getting the Spider-Man origin that came before Captain America: Civil War. And in the first episodes, we even see the classic “Peter finds a DVD player” scene from Civil War, as well as a riff on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) showing up to offer him an internship… Only this time it’s Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo).

Other bits of MCU ephemera litter the episodes of the series, from the distinctive lettering of “QUEENS” in the opening — also straight out of Civil War — to Klev (Zach Cherry) aka the “Do a flip” guy from Spider-Man: Homecoming showing up in an Easter egg. There’s a little Iron Man air freshener dangling in Aunt May’s car, and a reference to Hawkeye. Heck, there’s even Avengers Tower over the skyline, and a picture of Norman shaking hands with Captain America that Peter sees in the hallway to Norman’s office — where else — on your left.

But the actual origin of how Peter gets spider-powers is different. It’s caused by Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes) battling a Symbiotic Alien (Kellan Goff) after popping through a portal, loosing a strange spider that falls down onto Peter’s neck after the fight is over. And in the middle of the fight, Strange — who Peter does not recognize — sees that they’re at Midtown High, and alarmed says “we’re not supposed to be here.” So clearly between the strange green portal, the alien who is not Venom, and Strange likely knowing that Midtown High is the origin point for Peter Parker… There’s something (no pun intended) strange going on.

Add in that this Spider-Man wears a costume we’ve never seen before, he gets that internship with Osborn instead of Stark, and things will continue to veer off from there, this is clearly not the MCU Spider-Man we know and love. In fact, it’s set in an alternate timeline, though starts around the same time as Civil War. The Battle for New York in Avengers has already happened. The Sokovia Accords (the plot device behind Civil War) are happening, as well. But this Peter is in a different place, and a different time.

And in a story in Variety, showrunner Jeff Trammell noted they’ll keep focused on Peter, rather than delving too heavily into what’s going on in the greater MCU-adjacent universe. “If we do something that’s too crazy — like, we cut to the ‘Civil War’ fight, and She-Hulk’s there — it’s going to be like, ‘Wait, I want to follow that story,'” Trammell said.

So that all said, is this the MCU, or not?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Is Part Of The Greater MCU Multiverse

Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes) in Marvel Animation's YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2025 MARVEL. All Rights Reserved.

The actual answer is here is yes; and no. The reason for that is that the MCU’s multiverse includes, well, everything. If it wants to. YFNSM sort of exists as a — not to name-check another animated show — what if scenario for the MCU Peter Parker. What if instead of getting his powers… However Holland’s Spidey got his powers… He got them from Doctor Strange fighting a symbiote? And then we watch as the ripples in this particular part of the multiverse continue to change things from there.

So no, this is not the live-action Tom Holland in animated form, though that was the actual intention of the show back when it was announced as Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Instead, the renamed Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man takes place in its own continuity that riffs off the established MCU continuity, and will forge its own path.

That said, there’s clearly something going on with wherever Doctor Strange and Not-Venom came from. Was it in this dimension? Another part of the multiverse? We’ll likely find out as the series continues. And if the MCU live-action division wants to reference what Marvel Animation is doing at some point? They certainly will. Otherwise, they’ll just keep doing whatever a spider can.

Where To Watch Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 1 Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:

The first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 1 premiere Wednesday, January 29 at 3 am ET / Midnight PT on Disney+. New episodes premiere weekly until the finale on February 19, 2025.

Here’s the full list of episodes in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 1, with premiere dates:

  • Wednesday, January 29, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 1: “Amazing Fantasy”
  • Wednesday, January 29, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 2: “The Parker Luck”
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 3: “Secret Identity Crisis”
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 4: “Hitting the Big Time”
  • Wednesday, February 5, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 5: “The Unicorn Unleashed”
  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 6: “Duel with the Devil”
  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 7: “Scorpion Rising”
  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 8: “Tangled Web”
  • Wednesday, February 19, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 9: “Hero of Menace”
  • Wednesday, February 19, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1, Episode 10: “if This Be My Destiny…” *Season Finale*

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