Spider-Man: Freshman Year is an animated series coming to Disney Plus in 2024 and it will finally provide the origin story to Tom Holland’s version of Spidey, who was first introduced to the MCU in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. However, it has already been the subject to some confusion regarding how it fits into the MCU canon.
In the animated series, Spider-Man will interact with Doctor Strange, Daredevil and the villains Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and Doc Ock – all before meeting Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers. All of this contradicts with Peter Parker meeting these characters for the first time – mainly in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Now, Marvel Studios producer Brad Winderbaum has explained just what the heck is going on; ““Like we said, in the panel, it follows the pattern that you see in Civil War,” said Winderbaum to ComicBook.com. “Down to Peter getting the broken Blu-ray player from the trash and he walks into his department for the famous moment where Tony Stark is waiting for him to offer him the Stark internship and take him to Berlin.”
Winderbaum continued; “But because of things that happen in the multiverse because of new, random occurrences, it’s not Tony Stark who’s waiting for him there. It’s Norman Osborn, and that sends his life in an unexpected trajectory that collides him with many unexpected characters in the Marvel Universe.”
It sounds as though Spider-Man: Freshman Year will be more like the animated series What If…? As it will obviously beg the question; “what if Norman Osborn was Peter’s mentor, instead of Tony Stark?” As of yet, Charlie Cox is the only confirmed voice actor for Spider-Man: Freshman Year and it is believed that Tom Holland will not be providing the voice of Peter.
While we wait for Spider-Man: Freshman Year, check out our guide to the best Spider-Man villains.