Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Puts A New Spin On Captain America: Civil War
In the Disney+ series' alternate reality, one of the greatest Marvel battles would've been very different
When it comes to Marvel Cinematic Universe lore, few things have been more impactful than Captain America: Civil War, which signaled a seismic shift in the MCUâs future by introducing characters and moments Marvel fans still gush about. The seminal film is largely remembered for the jaw-dropping introductions of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) into the MCU. But, in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, that wouldnât have happened.
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Graphic: Kotaku
In Episode 4, titled âHitting the Big Time,â Peter Parker (Hudson Thames) is informed by Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo) of the ratification of The Sokovia Accords, the governmental oversight measures that most notably required super-powered individuals to register with their respective governments. In Civil War, its passage divided superhero leaders Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) over whether superheroes should sign it or not, forcing others like Black Panther and Spider-Man to choose opposing sides. These differences come to a head during an intense all-out brawl among some of Marvelâs fiercest fighters at the Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany.
In Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Parker is not part of that fight, and instead finds out about it from a news report. Osborn tells Parker heâs his âown heroâ when the young web slinger asks if the Avengers will patch it up, implying the fractured groupâs reunion still hasnât happened yet. In Civil War, Spider-Manâs involvement sets the foundation for this relationship with his mentor Tony Stark, who uncovers Parkerâs identity as Spider-Man and gives him an upgraded Spider-Man suit in exchange for joining his team against Captain America.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man acts as a sort of parallel universe in which Osborn takes the place of Stark, uncovering Parkerâs identity in the seriesâ third episode and offering him a suit upgrade in the fourth. I doubt Marvel would ever make a series named Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and turns its lovable character into a villain. But, Parkerâs relationship with Stark in Civil War was a catalyst for him joining the Avengers and following in his mentorâs footsteps. Given Osbornâs storied history as a nefarious character known as the Green Goblin, his partnership with Parker will, at least, delay Spider-Manâs entry into the Avengers, and, at worst, make him their enemy.
Another wrinkle in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is that Parkerâs fandom is reserved for Captain America, not Iron Man, which could be a foreshadowing of issues to come. In the seriesâ fourth episode, Osborn lays out his plan for Parker to represent the next generation of superheroes after the Avengersâ destructive involvement in the events of the first two Avengers films left parts of the world decimated without any superhero accountability. In this alternate reality, Civil War didnât introduce Spider-Man to the MCU; instead, heâs being led on an uncharted path that potentially results in him being the leader of the worldâs next era of protectors. Or, maybe it leads him to disappointing Osborn, driving him to madness, and eventually ending with the inventor dead.
Either way, weâll be tuned in for the next few Wednesdays to find out.