While many have speculated that Spider-Man: Freshman Year has been cancelled on Disney+, a new update offered a promising sign that the show is still in the works.
Alongside revealing a special first look, Marvel Studios announced a 2024 release window for Spider-Man: Freshman Year during 2022's San Diego Comic-Con. However, there have been minimal updates since.
In November 2022, a rumor claimed that Freshman Year was still set to premiere on the streaming service in 2024.
Fast forward to March 2023, insider KC Walsh mentioned that the series was eyeing a late 2024 release window.
Is Spider-Man: Freshman Year Cancelled by Disney+?
Polygon Pictures announced its involvement in Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Freshman Year, indicating that the animated series have not been cancelled by Disney+ despite concerns from fans.
In the studio's official statement, Polygon Pictures expressed excitement about its upcoming collaboration:
"Polygon Pictures (“PPI,” President and CEO: Shuzo Shiota, Head Office: Tokyo, Japan) is proud to announce its involvement in Marvel Studios’ upcoming animated series, 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year.'
Marvel-published Spider-Man comics are beloved around the world, and the story and characters have been adapted into numerous TV series and other media. In Japan, the 2021 live-action film 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' was a smash hit, becoming the first Hollywood film to earn over 4 billion yen at the domestic box-office since the start of the COVID pandemic.
Animation for 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year' will be produced by Japanese digital animation studio, Polygon Pictures. We hope you are looking forward to this return to the world of Spider-Man, utilizing the latest CG technology!"
Although the show is not cancelled, it is still unknown when it will release due to recent developments from Marvel Studios.
In March 2023, Disney+ changed the release windows of several MCU series from Phase 5 to "Coming Soon," meaning that the shows, including Spider-Man: Freshman Year, could be delayed.
Why It Would Not Be Wise to Cancel Spider-Man's Disney+ Series
Spider-Man is perhaps Marvel's most popular hero, and many would agree that cancelling his animated Disney+ series is not the best route moving forward.
In fact, Spider-Man: Freshman Year executive producer and head writer Jeff Trammell shared a promising update about the series in November 2022, noting that development was still progressing while celebrating the anniversary of his pitch for the show.
Given that it was already confirmed that Spider-Man: Freshman Year is set in an alternate Earth, exploring his story in a different universe allows more opportunities to showcase a fresh take on the web-slinging hero.
Aside from focusing on a new Peter Parker, Freshman Year also gives fans a chance to learn more about other Spider-Man villains, such as Speed Demon and Tarantula.
All in all, Spider-Man: Freshman Year has the potential to be a hit among Marvel's web-slinging projects while also expanding the MCU's Multiverse Saga.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year has no release date yet.
