Marvel Studios Debuting an Iconic Spider-Man Hero Can Finally Improve a 60-Year-Old Romance

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Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man took inspiration from Spider-Man’s portrayal in the MCU but, in the spirit of the Multiverse Saga, made some key alterations that sent Peter Parker’s story spiraling in a radical new direction. In this version of Spider-Man’s origin story, the young superhero has been mentored by Norman Osborn, aka Green Goblin in the source material. Season 1 also partnered Peter up with a supporting cast not normally associated with Spider-Man, including Nico Minoru and Pearl Pangan.

Seasons 2 and 3 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man have already been confirmed to be coming to Disney+, while showrunner Jeff Trammell has teased the possibility of a Season 4 and beyond. Fan theories are already flying concerning characters that might turn up in future seasons of the series. Osborn seems to be on a path towards assuming his villainous alter ego, Lonnie Lincoln is already in danger of clashing with Spider-Man as Tombstone and the first season teased the arrival of Venom. So far, only one new character has been confirmed to be appearing on Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2, and she could be the perfect love interest for Peter Parker.

Spider-Gwen is Coming to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Gwen Stacy is Making Her MCU Debut in Season 2

Following the release of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man‘s Season 1 finale on Disney+, Trammell took to Instagram to share artwork of Season 2’s new hero, Gwen Stacy. Trammell shared two images, one showing Gwen in her civilian guise and one depicting her suited up as the spider-powered heroine commonly referred to as Spider-Gwen. In the comics, while Spider-Gwen was the title of the character’s ongoing series, this hero has been better known in-universe as Spider-Woman. Her name later changed to Spider-Gwen when her identity was revealed, before she changed her moniker again to Ghost-Spider. The comics’ Spider-Gwen is the Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, a reality where the radioactive spider bit her rather than Peter Parker.

Spider-Gwen was introduced in 2014’s Spider-Verse event as one of the countless spider-heroes of the Multiverse. The character proved an instant hit with readers, and Earth-65’s Gwen Stacy went on to appear in her own solo comic. She has since left her home universe behind to join the heroes of Earth-616, Marvel’s mainstream continuity. Outside of the comics, Spider-Gwen has appeared in various animated Marvel series, including Ultimate Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel Rising. Most notably, however, Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Woman played a central role in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its 2023 sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, where she was voiced by Hailee Steinfeld.

Exactly how Gwen Stacy will factor into Season 2 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is not yet clear. Earth-616’s Gwen and Peter Parker have a long history together. Gwen was Peter’s first serious girlfriend, though their time together was tragically cut short when the Green Goblin abducted Gwen and threw her to her death from the Brooklyn Bridge. It was only after the death of Gwen Stacy that Mary Jane Watson became a long-term partner to Peter. If Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 takes its inspiration from these early Spider-Man comics, Gwen could be one of Peter’s classmates who becomes his love interest.

Given Spider-Gwen’s history with the Multiverse, it’s also possible Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will introduce her as a character from another reality, though this route seems unlikely. The MCU-adjacent Spider-Man series has a license to completely reimagine Peter Parker’s world, making it easy for the series to integrate Spider-Gwen into Peter’s universe. A likely explanation for Gwen’s introduction is that she was one of Peter’s fellow Midtown High students who was bitten by the same spider that bit Peter. In Episode 1, “Amazing Fantasy,” the spider that bit Peter crawled away onto an unseen student’s backpack. Gwen may well have been that student, explaining her gaining spider powers in this reality.

Spider-Gwen Could Improve Peter’s Greatest Romance

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man can Tell a New Love Story for Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy

While Mary Jane Watson has become Peter Parker’s best-known love interest, Gwen Stacy was undoubtedly Peter’s greatest love. Had her life not been taken by the Green Goblin, Peter almost certainly would have ended up marrying Gwen rather than MJ. The only potential obstacle to their relationship was Gwen’s distrust of Spider-Man, whom she had blamed for the death of her father. Due to her murder at the hands of the Green Goblin, Gwen never got to find out that Peter was Spider-Man. This aspect of her boyfriend’s life would have been difficult for Gwen to deal with, which is a character trait she shared with several of Peter’s love interests.

His life as Spider-Man has always put a strain on Peter Parker’s relationships, whether his partner has known his secret or not. Though Mary Jane was aware of Peter’s secret identity, the danger that Spider-Man brought into their lives and the emotional toll of watching Peter repeatedly endanger himself played a major role in their separation. Before Peter and MJ were an item, Peter’s secrecy and distance brought an end to his relationships with Betty Brant and Debra Whitman. Conversely, when Peter dated Felicia Hardy, aka the Black Cat, it was Peter Parker who got in the way of her love for Spider-Man. The two never truly connected outside of their costumed personas, leading them to separate.

By bringing a version of Gwen Stacy who is also a superhero into Peter Parker’s life, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man could introduce Peter’s perfect partner. The love that flourished between the original Peter and Gwen of Earth-616 was obvious and could well be replicated in the show’s versions of the characters. However, where Spider-Man posed a problem for the relationship between Earth-616’s Peter and Gwen, the animated series could see superheroics become yet another part of their lives that the couple can share with each other. Neither Peter nor Gwen would have to worry they were inviting danger into their partner’s life, as both could defend themselves against supervillains. They would also each be able to understand the unique struggles the other is facing as a result of their double lives.

Peter Parker and Spider-Gwen Have Never Been an Item Before

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man can Introduce the Spider-Verse’s Newest Power Couple

An incarnation of Gwen Stacy with Spider-Man’s powers seems like the ideal partner for Peter Parker, allowing for the greatest love of his civilian life to share in his superhero life as well. However, the two have never previously been together. When Spider-Gwen was introduced in the comics in Spider-Verse, she was a teenage version of Gwen Stacy. By this point in the comics, Peter Parker was already in his 20s. Though the two cared for each other, their relationship was purely platonic and therefore markedly different from Peter’s relationship with the Gwen of his universe. Spider-Gwen had also suffered the loss of her universe’s Peter Parker, leading to her and the 616 Peter Parker vowing to look out for one another during Spider-Verse, as each reminded the other of a life they had failed to save.

A similar situation unfolded between Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker in the animated Spider-Verse movies. Here, the age gap was even more pronounced, with Peter B. Parker in his 40s alongside the teen Gwen. In those movies, a romantic relationship has instead been evolving between Gwen and Miles Morales, who is far closer to her in age. A similar relationship between Miles and Earth-65’s Gwen has been explored in the comics too. Though this particular version of Gwen makes sense as a partner for Miles, the original Gwen Stacy’s love for Peter Parker was a huge part of her character. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man can finally explore what a high school relationship between Spider-Gwen and Peter Parker would look like.

By returning Gwen Stacy to her original status as one of Peter Parker’s classmates (or at least, a would-be classmate, if the two went to different schools after Midtown was destroyed) Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man can put a new spin on Peter Parker’s greatest love story. With a version of Gwen Stacy who is closer in character to the Gwen of Earth-616, but who has the superpowers and dual identity of Earth-65’s Gwen, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man can finally do right by Gwen and Peter. It could also be the series that subverts the trend of Peter Parker’s constant struggles in love, pairing up the young superhero with someone who can share in his life in and out of the mask.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Season 1 is now available to stream on Disney+.

“}]] Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man reimagined Peter Parker’s world and Season 2 could go even further by introducing Peter’s perfect partner.  Read More