‘Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Star Was Worried The Show Would Be “Annoying And Woke” 

We are mere hours away from the debut of “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” on Disney+. While the new animated series is produced by Marvel Studios, the series doesn’t take place in the MCU that we all know and love. That means risks could be taken by introducing new versions of characters we already know and some that we have yet to meet. And according to the star of the series, he had some worries about that.

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Speaking to Collider, Hudson Thames, who voices Peter Parker/Spider-Man, in “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” talked about his concerns with introducing new characters who we have yet to meet in the MCU. Specifically, he was asked about folks like Norman Osborn and Lonnie Lincoln. 

“I thought it was awesome. I mean, my biggest fear was that it was gonna be annoying and woke, and it wasn’t, and I was like, ‘Yes, this is great, it’s so well written,’ like it feels real,” said Thames. “I’m the oldest of five boys, so I feel like I kind of know what’s happening in their lives and in high school, and it felt like it was doing that justice.”

Why would he be concerned that introducing new characters would be “annoying and woke?” Well, it’s clear he is talking about how Norman Osborn is shown to be Black in the animated series. In the comics and previous versions that have been adapted for TV and film, Norman Osborn has been shown to be white. 

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Hudson Thames has been voicing Peter Parker for Marvel Studios since Season 1 of “What If…?” a few years ago. Previously, he’s starred in shows such as “Ghosts,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” and “American Soul.”

The first episode of “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” debuts on Disney+ on January 29.