As I settled in to watch the newly released Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on Disney+, I felt a rush of excitement and curiosity about this fresh spin on the web-slinger’s tale. Launched on January 29, 2025, this animated series has already hooked me with its bold twists and fascinating characters, perfect for longtime Marvel fans and new viewers. Right from the start, one thing jumped out: Norman Osborn, voiced by the talented Colman Domingo, comes off too friendly to be truly kind, and that uneasy feeling grabbed my attention immediately.
Let’s talk about Norman Osborn’s role—he’s a standout in this show, and reviews like IGN’s dive into his character in detail (https://www.ign.com/articles/your-friendly-neighborhood-spider-man-season-1-review). Instead of Tony Stark mentoring Peter, we get Norman, a slick Oscorp billionaire who’s all smiles and support at first. But every time he praised Peter’s science smarts or handed him that sleek new suit, I couldn’t help but think, “This guy’s up to something.” His charm feels like a setup for the Green Goblin twist we all know is coming, and I’m already invested in how this alternate timeline will play out, his darker side.
Then there’s the rough-and-tumble action with Tombstone and Scorpion, who bring a gritty street vibe to the series. Lonnie Lincoln, aka Tombstone (voiced by Eugene Byrd), starts as Peter’s high school football star friend—a big shift from his comic book crime-lord roots. Watching him reluctantly get tangled with the 110th Street gang pulled me right into his story. By the finale, when that toxic gas turns his skin ivory white, I was completely sold on his transformation. Meanwhile, Mac Gargan’s Scorpion (Jonathan Medina) slinks in as the Scorpions gang leader, sporting a mechanized tail that amps up the action. Their gang battles—like that wild Oscorp truck fight—kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering how Peter’s going to handle these threats while juggling his awkward teenage life. It’s the kind of drama that makes you want to talk about Spider-Man’s villains nonstop.
Speaking of drama we got to speak to the composers behind Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Zach Robinson and Leo Birenberg. I got to learn what their thought process was when scoring this masterpiece, their favorite moments and inspiration. Listen to the audio interview below
And then there’s the magical twist with Dr. Strange and Nico Minoru. Seeing Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes) burst into Midtown High in the premiere, chasing a symbiotic alien, totally caught me off guard. That spider dropping from his portal to bite Peter? It’s a crazy twist on the origin story that screams multiverse chaos! It’s got me thinking about how he fits into this world and what might come next. Then there’s Nico (Grace Song), Peter’s sharp-tongued best friend from the Runaways crew. Her sarcastic charm and that finale moment—summoning something with a jewel and calling out to her “mom”—left me buzzing with ideas about a Midnight Suns connection. Could this be a hint at a supernatural team-up later? With Strange’s magic and Nico’s growing powers, I can’t help but wonder if this show is quietly setting up something bigger and spookier.
As I powered through all 10 episodes, I loved how Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
blends its retro animation style with a modern edge. The Disney+ release has everyone talking, and with reviews like IGN’s calling it “insidiously fun” (https://www.ign.com/articles/your-friendly-neighborhood-spider-man-season-1-review), it’s no surprise this series is climbing the Marvel must-watch list. Norman’s suspicious friendliness, Tombstone and Scorpion’s gang chaos, and the Strange-Nico mystical vibes all come together to make this a show I couldn’t stop watching. Now I’m just counting down to Season 2, eager to see if my Midnight Suns hunch pays off—because if it does, this friendly neighborhood might turn into something a lot more eerie.
