While the main event is undoubtedly Saturday evening’s live-action film and television panel, Marvel Studios made an early appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con International on Friday as it hosted its very first Marvel Studios Animation panel, which featured some big news but also threw up some major canon questions.
During last year’s Disney+ Day, Marvel Studios announced it was working on the animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year, described as the time as an “in canon” prequel exploring Peter Parker’s origin and his journey towards becoming the MCU’s Spider-Man as introduced in Captain America: Civil War.
Well, today’s panel has cast some confusion over all of that, with Marvel announcing that Charlie Cox is set to lend his voice to Daredevil in the series, while both Doctor Octopus and Norman Osborn will appear, despite Peter being unfamiliar with all three prior to Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Muddying the waters further, Doctor Strange is set to feature despite Stephen Strange not being Doctor Strange at the pre-Civil War point of the timeline, while Norman Osborn is also confirmed as Peter’s mentor, and certainly looks like he’s being positioned as a Tony Stark if this first-look at the character is anything to go by…
#SpiderMan mentors
CIVIL WAR: Tony Stark
FRESHMAN YEAR: Norman OsbornDetails: https://t.co/uP9Oeic0QG pic.twitter.com/76JYjAACMr
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) July 22, 2022
So, what’s it all mean? Could Spider-Man: Freshman Year is a be standalone project, or a What If…?-style story taking place in a different part of the Marvel multiverse? Or – given the 2024 premiere date – could it be one of the first entries in reshaped and soft-rebooted post-Secret Wars version of the MCU? At this point all we can do is speculate.
Along with the casting news, the panel did offer up some extra titbits of information, such as the inclusion of Harry Osborn, Nico Minoru, Lonnie Lincoln, Amadeus Cho, Pearl Pangan and Jean Foucault, and villains Chameleon, Scorpion, Rhino, Tarantula, Speed Demon, Butane and Carmela Black.
Meanwhile, we also got bunch of artwork and concept art including a shot of Daredevil suited up which may or may not give us some indication of how The Man Without Fear could look when Cox makes his live-action return in Echo. Check them out here via Discussing Film…
SEE ALSO: Marvel Studios’ I Am Groot gets a first trailer and poster ahead of August premiere
Charlie Cox will voice Daredevil in ‘SPIDER-MAN: FRESHMAN YEAR’ and will team up with Spider-Man #SDCC pic.twitter.com/yvG7ajvpda
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 22, 2022
Spider-Man will have various suits in ‘SPIDER-MAN: FRESHMAN YEAR’. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/JnCsb8LDN6
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 22, 2022
Doctor Octopus, The Rhino, Scorpion, Speed Demon and Tarantula will be villains in ‘SPIDER-MAN: FRESHMAN YEAR’ #SDCC pic.twitter.com/WK1Y8zrLEz
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 22, 2022
Harry Osborn, Amadeus Cho and Nico Minuro will appear in ‘SPIDER-MAN: FRESHMAN YEAR’ #SDCC pic.twitter.com/BXyto1ryKG
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 22, 2022
‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ will have a second season titled ‘SPIDER-MAN: SOPHOMORE YEAR’ #SDCC pic.twitter.com/MAlqfZEPde
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 22, 2022
Spider-Man: Freshman Year is coming to Disney+ in 2024.
