Warning! This article contains spoilers for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man episodes 1 and 2.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man marks the first entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2025, but after the first two episodes, it's clear that things are very different in the animated show. The MCU first debuted in 2008, where it introduced the world to Iron Man, and ended with Tony Stark exposing himself as a superhero. Since then, the world of the MCU has expanded and evolved in various ways, including introducing new heroes like Spider-Man in 2016's Captain America: Civil War.

Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker has since starred in three solo movies, with a fourth currently in the works, and numerous other films like Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. However, the hero presented in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, appears to have some stark differences to his Sacred Timeline counterpart. From the characteristics of Peter Parker himself, to the wider world around him, there is a lot to learn about this alternate timeline.

10 Peter Parker Doesn't Go To Midtown

He Goes To Rock Ford Bales Instead

As YFNSM begins, Peter Parker is seen running late on his first day at Midtown High, where he is set to study robotics alongside other academically gifted students. However, no sooner does Peter arrive than a giant green portal opens over his head, dropping a symbiotic alien into the middle of the campus.

Interestingly, this also leads to Peter getting bitten by a spider that enhances his DNA, except it appears to be a more magical or alien spider, rather than a science experiment.

Fortunately, Doctor Stephen Strange is close behind, and he manages to contain the threat, but not before the Midtown school building is left with immense damage that will take a significant time to repair. This is what leads to this version of Peter Parker not attending Midtown, as he is transferred to a nearby high school, Rock Ford Bales, to study instead.

Interestingly, this also leads to Peter getting bitten by a spider that enhances his DNA, except it appears to be a more magical or alien spider, rather than a science experiment. The MCU has never explicitly shown how Peter got his powers, but considering Midtown wasn't destroyed by an alien, it was unlikely he encountered the same spider.

9 Peter Parker Gets An Internship At Oscorp

He May Initially Look To Norman Osborn As A Mentor

In a scene that perfectly echoes Tony Stark appearing in Peter and Aunt May's apartment, Norman Osborn appears in a similar capacity, offering Peter an internship as Oscorp. Tony also offered Peter an internship in the MCU, but this was a cover so that he could take Peter on superhero excursions, after having learned that Peter was the mysterious masked hero known as Spider-Man. Norman Osborn's offer, on the other hand, leads to a genuine internship for Parker.

Although, considering Osborn's history in other stories, it is not hard to imagine that he has also discovered Peter's identity and hopes to get close to the amateur hero. And even if he didn't know about Peter's moonlighting as a superhero before, by the end of episode 2, Osborn uncovers Peter's secret due to Peter not being careful about concealing his identity. However, the parallels to the MCU suggest that Peter may initially look to Norman as a mentor.

8 Norman Osborn Is A Highly Influential Figure

He Is Renowned For His Fortune And The Businesses He Operates

To date in the MCU, the only version of Norman Osborn to appear was the one played by Willem Dafoe, who arrived in the MCU from an alternate timeline, along with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker. While in comics and other versions of the Spider-Man story, Osborn is an incredibly prominent figure, who excels in business, scientific research, and wealth, the MCU either has no Norman Osborn, or they have kept themselves concealed from the public eye up to this point.

In YFNSM, it's a very different story. Along with the Avengers tower adorning the New York City skyline, Osborn also has a skyscraper for his company, Oscorp. Osborn is renowned for his fortune, and the business that he operates. However, whether he also has a secret super persona, aka the Green Goblin, or not remains to be seen in future episodes of YFNSM.

7 Doctor Strange Has A Different Powerset

He Transforms His Body From A Physical Form Into An Intangible Astral Form

As mentioned above, Doctor Strange makes an appearance in the first episode of YFNSM. This character has some visual differences, including his costume and facial hair, but even more interesting, his powers operate differently to the Stephen Strange of the MCU. Benedict Cumberbatch's version of Strange does develop the ability to wield magic, and even separate his astral form from his physical body to experience time differently and achieve several outcomes. However, YFNSM's Strange revealed something different.

While battling against the terrifying symbiote creature, Strange gets the upper hand, casting a portal which places the creature in the back of what looks to be a garbage truck. However, the creature gets up quickly, grabs the large vehicle, and throws it at Strange. In response, Strange appears to transform his body from a physical form, to an intangible astral form, that allows him to through the speeding truck unharmed.

6 Peter Parker Has Some New Friends

All These New Friends Can Be Found In The Pages Of Marvel Comics

In the MCU, Peter is close friends with a small group of kids his age. This includes Ned Leeds, Michelle Jones, and a few others who have warmed up to Parker over time, such as Betty Brant and Flash Thompson. In YFNSM, none of these characters appear. Instead, they have been replaced by people like Niko Minoru, Lonnie Lincoln, and Pearl Pangan.

Interestingly, all of these characters can be found in the pages of Marvel Comics, but not all of them are typically connected to Spider-Man. For instance, Niko is a core member of The Runaways, another superhero team that has various powers, and discover that their parents are actually supervillains. And Lonnie Lincoln is the true identity of the Spider-Man villain, Tombstone, though he appears to be decidedly more kind-hearted in YFNSM.

5 This Is Not Tom Holland's Peter Parker

YFNSM's Peter Behaves More Like The Version Of The Character Who First Appeared In Comics In 1962

Despite some surface level connections, such as the shared name, shared family history, and developing Spider-powers, this is evidently not the same version of Peter Parker that appears in the MCU. For instance, Holland's version does not wear glasses, has a very different dress sense, and seems to generally present as a very different character.

In YFNSM, Peter dresses in a way that makes him appear to be an elderly man trapped in a teenage body. In fact, this version of Peter seems to more closely resemble, and behave, like the version of the character who first appeared in comics in 1962. While the differences may not appear to be all that important, it does indicate that these are variants of Spider-Man from different corners of the multiverse, which is significant.

4 There Are A Lot More Spider-Man Villains (Still Undercover)

In Just Two Episodes, Numerous Characters Who Are Known As Villains Have Appeared

Due to the MCU's connected nature, many of the villains that have caused the most trouble have been huge threats that force multiple heroes to act. With this in mind, Holland's Spider-Man has not battled many of the familiar villains seen in the comics, and only a handful of characters appear who are known to be villains in the comics, such as Prowler, aka Aaron Davis, who briefly appears in Spider-Man: Homecoming, played by Donald Glover.

Clearly, YFNSM is leaning into the comic book origins and bringing in a host of threats for Peter to battle.

However, in just two episodes, numerous characters who are known as Spider-Man villains have appeared in YFNSM. Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin, Dr. Betnley Wittman, aka Wizard, Harry Osborn, aka Hobgoblin, Carla Conners, a clear gender-swapped version of Curt Conners, aka the Lizard, a Symbiote, the Chameleon appears in the introduction, and Otto Octavius has been hinted at with the minor villain Butane having an "OO" logo on his gear. Clearly, YFNSM is leaning into the comic book origins and bringing in a host of threats for Peter to battle.

3 Many More Young Superheroes Are Set Up For NYC

Peter Meets People Like Amadeus Cho, Asha And More

Despite this, there is also several characters who have heroic backstories in Marvel Comics who could with Peter Parker to form a team of young superheros. While attending his Oscorp internship, Parker meets people like Amadeus Cho, who becomes a Hulk in the comics.

He also meets Asha, a young woman from Wakanda whose comic book counterpart has control over light, and is able to turn invisible. The final student in the internship, Jeanne Foucault, also has a history in comics where she appears as Finesse, though her track record has seen her align with villains more than heroes.

But it's not just the kids on the internship who have comic book histories. Parker's school friends also possess powers in the comics. Niko is a powerful magic wielder, Pearl has control over water, and Lincoln, as mentioned above, is a villain known as Tombstone. All of these characters appearing in the show is unlikely to be coincidental, and could lead to the formation of some sort of superhero team with Parker standing up as a leader.

2 Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Shows A Lot More Swing Time

The Focus On Spidey's Web Powers Is A Welcome Return

One of Spider-Man's most iconic and visual powers is his web swinging abilities. However, both the Sam Raimi original Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man movies leaned heavily into showcasing Spidey swinging through NYC. In order to avoid repetition, the MCU has largely kept these displays to a minimum, and Spidey has more often been seen swinging outside the state of New York than in it.

However, YFNSM wastes no time in getting Parker set up with some web-fluid and swinging through the skies. There are several scenes in the first two episodes where Spidey is swinging through the city. There are also interesting shots where Spidey shoots webs, and the animation transitions into a POV shot. This focus on Spidey's web powers is a welcome return that has not been as prominent in the MCU as previous versions.

1 Peter Parker Is Kind Of A Popular Kid

He Was Very Well Received At His New School

And on top of all the other changes, it appears that Peter Parker is actually having a pretty fun and engaging high school career so far. While the MCU's Peter has a select group of friends, he isn't particularly popular. People like Flash Thompson bully him, and others ignore him, until the moment that his secret is revealed and everyone flocks to be his friend.

However, with the MCU making Peter Parker a total unknown again, he is back to being isolated and alone. YFNSM has a very different issue, as he struggles to balance his friendship with Niko, newfound popularity due to a budding friendship with Lonnie, his internship, and his heroics.

Peter has received a warm welcome in his new school, and people see him as someone with a lot of potential, who is worthy of iration. This is generally a departure from the character, but considering how thinly Parker's life is being stretched between all of these elements, he may not hold onto that popularity for very long. But thus far, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a big shift away from the MCU.

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