Hudson Thames, who provides the voice of Peter Parker in What If…?, stepped back into the webslinger’s shoes in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
As the series prepares to swing into action, Thames opened up about his initial reservations about the project, specifically concerns about the show being “annoying and woke”, which is a fear that he quickly realized was unfounded.
In an interview with Collider, Thames shared his reaction to the series’ diverse storytelling choices, particularly the reimagining of Norman and Harry Osborn as Black characters and the inclusion of lesser-known Marvel personalities like Lonnie Lincoln, Nico Minoru, and Pearl Pangan.
While some fans might throw around the term “woke” anytime a project throws in some diversity, Thames had a different perspective after diving into the material.
He said: “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.”
For Thames, the authenticity of the show resonated with his own life experiences, and he said: “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.”
The animated series has faced its share of skepticism, including backlash to its unique animation style, which draws heavy inspiration from comic book icon Steve Ditko. But, I freakin’ love the art style! I think this is going to be a great animated show!
Showrunner Jeff Trammell addressed these critiques, urging fans to approach the series with an open mind.
“We wanted to set the show apart [from other Spider-Man animated shows]. Regardless of how you feel about the show, you have to [admit] there’s nothing that looks like it.
“There’s no Spider-Man that looks like our Spider-Man. I think it’s important to have one that’s ours, and that feels unique [and] very much of its own thing.”
Trammell also acknowledged the mixed reactions to the teaser but promised the final product delivers a much richer experience.
“I think our style grows on you. So, I would say ‘give it a chance.’ I know there were a lot of initial thoughts about how it looked in the two-minute teaser, but… once the show comes out, you’ll see those scenes don’t play in the way that they play in that trailer.”
With Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man making its debut tomorrow, the creative team seems confident that viewers will appreciate its creative choices.
Trammell said: “Just give it a shot, watch it, and let it grow on you. If it doesn’t, that’s fine, too. I love our look, and I think everyone else who gives it a shot will do as well.”
The series follows Peter Parker and his journey to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU. The series is set in an alternate timeline, where the webslinger’s origin story features a mentorship by Norman Osborn (of Oscorp fame), the alter ego to bitter enemy Green Goblin, instead of Tony Stark.
The voice cast also includes Eugene Byrd (Spidey and His Amazing Friends, 8 Mile) as Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song (Kidding) as Nico Minoru, Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) as Otto Octavius, Kari Wahlgren (FLCL, Rick and Morty) as Aunt May, and Zeno Robinson (My Hero Academia, Pokemon Master Journeys: The Series) as Harry Osborn. It also includes Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil along with Paul F. Tompkins as Bentley Wittman / Wizard.
The 10-episode series swings onto Disney+ January 29th.