Spider-Man is a streamer in new animated show & fans are split

Marvel’s upcoming animated project Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man sees the hero become a streamer and fans aren’t sure how to feel.

Since the cinematic release of the MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans of the web-slinger have been desperate for a sequel. The yet-to-be-named Spider-Man 4 is confirmed to be in the works and is a part of Marvel’s packed release schedule.

Of course, it’s still a long way off but if you’re hanging on for a bit of wall-crawling action, never fear. Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is an animated project from Marvel Studios set to launch in January 2025 and there’s been quite a bit shown off for it.

The latest piece of promotional material coming from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York has revealed that this version of Spider-Man is a streamer. It’s an interesting concept but not everyone is excited about the move.

Spider-Man asks chat to “like and subscribe”

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is set in an alternate timeline of the MCU and it shows off an origin story of sorts for the hero. In this version of the classic tale, Norman Osborn serves as Peter Parker’s mentor rather than Tony Stark.

That’s just one change, however. The Macy’s Thanksgiving promo for the show sees Spider-Man talking into a camera telling viewers to “like and subscribe” as a chat scrolls up the screen. The revelation that Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is a streamer has split prospective viewers of the show.

Over on Discussing Film’s X post about the reveal, a debate is raging amongst fans. “Making Spider-Man a streamer? Why does Hollywood feel an insistent need to modernize our heroes,” one user complained. “Spider-Man as a streamer? Yeah, I speak for everyone when I say we won’t be watching,” another declared.

Apparently they don’t speak for everyone, however. Some fans of the character have praised the move. “Spider-Man as a streamer feels so on-brand—balancing crime-fighting with content creation sounds like classic Peter Parker chaos,” one user observed. “He used to sell photos of himself, so this would be the modern version of that I guess,” another added.

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, the character would regularly upload videos of his crime-fighting antics to YouTube and this feels like an extension of that thread. We’ll find out whether it lands with audiences on January 29, 2025, when Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man starts streaming on Disney+.