Spider-Man: Freshman Year Canon Has Marvel Fans VERY Confused

By Spencer Perry - July 22, 2022 04:54 pm EDT

A slew of new details about the upcoming animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year were announced today at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. The Marvel Animation panel brought word that Peter Parker's world will be expanding in a big way with the animated series, bringing in characters like Amadeus Cho, Harry Osborn, and Nico Minuro as classmates of Peter's. In addition the series will bring in classic Spider-Man villains including The Unicorn, Chameleon, Scorpion, Speed Demon, Tarantula, Butane, Carmella Black, Otto Octavius, and Norman Osborn; plus an appearance by Charlie Cox as Daredevil. All of this begs the question: wait, this is supposed to be MCU Canon?

When first announced, Spider-Man: Freshman Year came with the reveal that it was the animated origins of the MCU's Peter Parker, which was seemingly confirmed even further at today's panel when series head writer Jeff Trammell confirmed that it's set before the events of Captain America: Civil War. That notion, along with the reveal of all these characters appearing in the series has Marvel fans deeply confused. How can Doc Ock and Norman Osborn appear in the show when Spider-Man: No Way Home clearly established they weren't present in the MCU to begin with? If Daredevil knew Spider-Man beforehand, does that make the events of the Netflix series not-canon?

The simplest answer seems like the likeliest, this probably isn't MCU canon and is its own universe. We'll find out soon enough. Spider-Man: Freshman Year comes exclusively to Disney+ in 2024.

Don't give a sh!t

Freshman year gonna be goated cuz it don’t give a shit about tying into the mcu canon
— Alex. (@aLEXCORPINC) July 22, 2022

Zero sense

Oh so this makes zero sense to MCU continuity lmaoo
— Croc (@Croc_Block) July 22, 2022

Why...and why...

I thought Spider-Man Freshman Year was a prequel to Homecoming? Why tf they got Doc Ock, Rhino, Scorpion? And why does he have all these other suits??

Amadeus Cho showing up is gonna be sick af tho lmfaoo
— 💗Limen 💜 Kingy Horts 💙 (@Limen_nt) July 22, 2022

Does it tho

feel like this confirms it ain’t canon
— |Jesse| The Batman (@Jleffel22) July 22, 2022

Has to be a branch timeline

Marvel insists that it’s still canon to the MCU, but it has to be a branch timeline or something—because otherwise it makes no sense.
— Eskaver (@toronai22) July 22, 2022

Make it make sense

MCU fans explaining the Spider-Man timeline pic.twitter.com/tRT7RT0HvA
— Daiquiri | BLEACH SZN (@Da1qu1r1) July 22, 2022

What If The MCU Did What They Should Have Been Doing

All these “Spider-Man: Freshman Year” details make it sounds more like, “What If The MCU Did What They Should Have Been Doing With Spider-Man Since 2017?”

Which is cool! #SpidermanFreshmanYear
— Wil Burke (@WilTheSmart1) July 22, 2022

not canon for sure

Yeah not canon for sure. I’m ok with it.
— WALD! (@JediMasterWald) July 22, 2022

Probably in the multiverse

Probably in the multiverse in the mcu but not in our main universe
— mary ☀️ (@fe1iciahardy) July 22, 2022

Oh word?

Everyone's confusing the word canon here... it's canon to the Marvel world yes, but just not the specific universe our main story is set in. As simple as that. https://t.co/mTrQeqAtfQ
— XpertFusion (AKA MovieFusion) (@xpertfusion3) July 22, 2022