What Does The Next Modern Spider-Man TV Series Need?

[Lee]

We got that in Spectacular Spider-Man.

I know. I liked that one. I'd like for the next one to take the same approach.

[Obsidian Spider]

Remember Spider-Man Unlimited? Terrible show BUT what about another fish-out-of-water situation? Something really different to test his mettle and stand out from all other Spidey incarnations.

We all know Peter’s morals and determination and ingenuity. What if you do something along the lines of Rick Remender’s Captain America: Castaway in Dimension Z storyline or Mark Waid’s Home Of The Brave storyline? Have him in another dimension or flung into a post-apocalyptic future and have him go into survivor mode.

Show how he uses his brain to rig together some web shooters and other tech. Show how he inspires others and keeps people from giving into their base instincts. Have him rally the hopeless and rise to be the leader we all know he can be.

You could introduce all new characters in the other dimension version or use future-worn versions of both allies and enemies in the distopian future one. He’d end up working with enemies he never imagined he would. Have the series have one major objective: to set things right and get back home. Take an Avatar: The Last Airbender approach, with each episode having its own story but also moving the plot forward towards the climax of the series.

Just imagine the cool costumes we would get for, not just Spidey, but his allies and enemies. That’s toy gold, Network peeps!

[Frontier]

I would also appreciate if the next Spider-Man cartoon/series/whatever gives us a Spider-Man who can deal with and resolve threats on his own and doesn't need to get bailed out or be as reliant on his supporting cast.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Remember Spider-Man Unlimited? Terrible show BUT what about another fish-out-of-water situation?

The current Spider-Man cartoons is Ultimate Cartoon which ran from 2012-2017 and that's basically a toy commercial and branding extravaganza rather than an actual cartoon and story. It had Peter going to Hogwarts with Fury as Dumbledore. Marvel Spider-Man is this bizarre revision of Slott's run in a high school setting. Horizon Labs is now Horizon High...and Peter going to a special Hogwarts school where every classmate is a supergenius and so on, makes it again alien.

Basically we've had nearly a decade of Spider-Man cartoons where fish-out-of-water is default...

In fact in Spider-Man cartoons the more grounded and realistic take -- MTV Spider-Man, and Spectacular Spider-Man -- are the rare exceptions. Everything is bizarre whether Amazing Friends, the 67 Spider-Man cartoons, the Fox Cartoon, Unlimited.

Show how he uses his brain to rig together some web shooters and other tech. Show how he inspires others and keeps people from giving into their base instincts. Have him rally the hopeless and rise to be the leader we all know he can be.

Something like this can be done in a single one-shot episode...like how Jusitice League did Hereafter where Superman was transplanted to a Post-Apoc. earth where the sun turned red and he became Mad Max: Clark Kent edition. It would be insufferable as a setting of a series.

Just imagine the cool costumes we would get for, not just Spidey, but his allies and enemies. That’s toy gold, Network peeps!

That's actually what all the earlier cartoons have been about. Avi Arad producer of most of them was an exec for Toy-Biz, and toys were the main motivation for the bizarre stuff in Fox Spider-Man and Spider-Man Unlimited.

[Celgress]

I would also appreciate if the next Spider-Man cartoon/series/whatever gives us a Spider-Man who can deal with and resolve threats on his own and doesn't need to get bailed out or be as reliant on his supporting cast.

To dream the impossible dream.

PS I would also like this.

[Mistah K88]

We got that in Spectacular Spider-Man. No others Spiders, no other Marvel heroes, no inter-dimensional travel, magic, space, clones. Nobody aside from Brock/Venom knows Peter's identity.

They were stating to hint at Magic with Calypso, but it was so ambiguous that we could ignore it haha.

As for Peter’s identity, only Eddie knew for sure, but judging by some of the interviews they seemed to hint that the Connors started to think about it after Venom snitched. Also Captain Stacy started dropping hints heavily after Venom put that bug in everyone’s ear...

The thing about Spectacular is that it would set things up rather early, with things like Sandman and Rhino as simple thugs way before they got their powers. This could be frustrating when they lay down the groundwork a season in advance and then we don’t get to see what comes of it. Things like Kingsley, Cassidy, Bench, and Gargan, existing made us want to see where they wanted to go with them.

Now with a new show, so we want an arc to last an entire season like Sins of the Father, Meogenic Nightmare, etc? Or would we want smaller arcs, with small things bleeding throughout the season/series like the Master Planner moniker being used after Ock was outed (like his Mob Boss non de plume) or Venom snitching to the world and then Captain Stacy dropping HARD hints he knows what’s up.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

As for Peter’s identity, only Eddie knew for sure, but judging by some of the interviews they seemed to hint that the Connors started to think about it after Venom snitched. Also Captain Stacy started dropping hints heavily after Venom put that bug in everyone’s ear...

George Stacy knowing the identity and keeping it to himself is canon. The question is would they ever adapt The Death of George Stacy. Because while Gwen doesn't necessarily need to die...George Stacy absolutely does.

The thing about Spectacular is that it would set things up rather early, with things like Sandman and Rhino as simple thugs way before they got their powers. This could be frustrating when they lay down the groundwork a season in advance and then we don’t get to see what comes of it. Things like Kingsley, Cassidy, Bench, and Gargan, existing made us want to see where they wanted to go with them.

Now with a new show, so we want an arc to last an entire season like Sins of the Father, Meogenic Nightmare, etc? Or would we want smaller arcs, with small things bleeding throughout the season/series like the Master Planner moniker being used after Ock was outed (like his Mob Boss non de plume) or Venom snitching to the world and then Captain Stacy dropping HARD hints he knows what’s up.

Bruce Timm said that when Batman Beyond got abruptly cancelled without renewal, he and his team felt sad that they couldn't deliver a conclusion to the series since they never knew in advance if the show is being renewed or not. So from that point on, they did Justice League (which was the next season) with the attitude that the season finale is THE series finale. So every Justice League season ended in such a way that the series could stop and they would still go out on a high note. And eventually they managed to give Batman Beyond an ending in one of the episodes there. And Justice League went for some five seasons, and the fifth season they ran out of the stories they wanted so they made it the Lex Luthor show...and it was kind of awesome. My Platonic Luthor is the one in Justice League where he's basically a Silver Age Mad Scientist but legitimately evil and cool...I never liked businessman Lex after that.

Maybe Weisman should have done that. As it is, I find The Spectacular Spider-Man quite satisfying. The main story and mystery was Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin, and that arc solidly ended in Season 2 in a satisfying way. Romantically, Peter and Gwen are apart at the end, and don't actually get into a relationship despite their feelings for one another...and again that's accurate since Peter and Gwen Stacy are never really meant to be in any version. So while I think it sucks, I'm also like "Yeah, seems legit". I feel more upset about the idiocy of the Fox cartoon in its final seasons where the idiotic soap opera with the MJ water-clone and the dimension hopping was definitely a sign they didn't care about the characters anymore. To me Spectacular Spider-Man is satisfying as it is but the Fox cartoon isn't.

[Mister Mets]

I feel like this probably would've been what Spectacular developed into (certainly the consequences element was there).

I could see that. I wouldn't mind something close to Spectacular.

The MTV Spider-Man actually did have that. You had character death and in some level it was more PG-13 than even the Raimi movies especially about sexuality. Since it was implied multiple times that the characters did have sex with girlfriends and so on. Like Peter with that Indira girl and Harry Osborn with his girlfriend. It had a lot of potential but it just didn't do enough with the freedom and opportunity it got. A real waste.

But it's very rare for a superhero show to go there. The DCAU by Bruce Timm...this extended superhero expansion where Batman was followed by Superman then Justice League and then the Batman Beyond show did have character death and intense stuff but only for special episodes.

In any case Spider-Man comics have not always been so violent. It was when you had Venom and Carnage, but for most of the first 300 issues it was not really full of violence unlike say Post-Crisis Batman where you have Joker with a body count in the four digits.



On account of what is called the "Fleeting Demographic Rule" it's hard to convince networks and producers to do that. If a cartoon show is made for kids then it's for a particular age bracket...say 10-12, and in three years time that audience will grow up, and it will be hard to get the next group of 10-12 years involved. The DCAU was the only time that worked and it was because Warner Bros supported Bruce Timm and his crew and he kept coming up with new shows and ideas in the same continuity and the end result was you saw Batman from childhood and teenage years to old age.



Absolutely. Spider-Man and Marvel in general have never made Animated Shows as good as what DC/WB did. The closest are Spectacular Spider-Man and Xmen Evolution

The MTV cartoon had some more mature themes, but there were some quality issues. It probably went too much in the PG-13 direction, ignoring some classic elements of the series (Jonah, Aunt May) for someone's impression of what's trendy.

I do want to note that I don't think every Spider-Man story should be the equivalent of the Sin-Eater saga in a new TV series, but the option should be there for those types of stories.

Avoiding a focus on kids as an audience is one way to avoid a fleeting demographic rule. Spider-Man's a series that has done it before, with the movies.

[Snoop Dogg]

Iron Man: Armored Adventures is the best Spider-Man cartoon of the century.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

The MTV cartoon had some more mature themes, but there were some quality issues. It probably went too much in the PG-13 direction, ignoring some classic elements of the series (Jonah, Aunt May) for someone's impression of what's trendy.

I do want to note that I don't think every Spider-Man story should be the equivalent of the Sin-Eater saga in a new TV series, but the option should be there for those types of stories.

Avoiding a focus on kids as an audience is one way to avoid a fleeting demographic rule. Spider-Man's a series that has done it before, with the movies.

The main thing is to do it like the Batman and DCAU, or for that matter Ducktales and Gravity Falls. Or you know something like other Disney cartoons from the 90s, I am thinking Aladdin which ran for multiple seasons and was an action adventure fantasy show. Marvel Animation is not as good as other Disney TV animation departments. Like Ducktales 2017 adapts these classic Donald Duck comics and it has a look and design that simulates an animated comic look, it even uses cross-hatches and other comic design for emotional focus.

Those shows have a timelessness that brings adults and teens and kids together. That way when the children grow up, they'll still like it as teens. The Batman Animated Series has a status for Batman that Bendis' Ultimate Comics does for ASM, its something that creators and others take inspiration from. Ed Brubaker when he worked on Batman he talked about seeing multiple episodes of that series to get in the mood. And those cartoons and whole episodes inspired these Arkham Games.

Spider-Man as a cartoon would be PG-13 and death would be rare but it could be done. And yeah The Death of Captain George Stacy would be amazing...you could do it like the Timm Superman episode which killed Dan Turpin. That was a children's animation cartoon where you saw Superman fail to save his close friend, and that was actual death we saw with funeral and everything...

[AngelJD]

George Stacy knowing the identity and keeping it to himself is canon. The question is would they ever adapt The Death of George Stacy. Because while Gwen doesn't necessarily need to die...George Stacy absolutely does.

Maybe Weisman should have done that. As it is, I find The Spectacular Spider-Man quite satisfying. The main story and mystery was Norman Osborn and the Green Goblin, and that arc solidly ended in Season 2 in a satisfying way. Romantically, Peter and Gwen are apart at the end, and don't actually get into a relationship despite their feelings for one another...and again that's accurate since Peter and Gwen Stacy are never really meant to be in any version. So while I think it sucks, I'm also like "Yeah, seems legit". I feel more upset about the idiocy of the Fox cartoon in its final seasons where the idiotic soap opera with the MJ water-clone and the dimension hopping was definitely a sign they didn't care about the characters anymore. To me Spectacular Spider-Man is satisfying as it is but the Fox cartoon isn't.

I recall a time in the past when all versions of Gwen Stacys "had to die because 616 version did". Then "Edge of the Spider-Verse #2" came out and suddernly that got disrupted (and I love that elements of unknown and freedom for imagination). Now also thanks to the recent movie Gwen can be apart of her own world, apart of Peter's world, apart of Miles world, or mixture plus be presented in many different ways (once agian freedom of creativity that I love).

Now I really love that Hydro MJ character as a character and hated that she died. Didn't like how that series ended however.
For Spectacular "since Peter and Gwen Stacy are never really meant to be in any version." I don't feel that's true. I feel they can or don't have a shot per universe depending on the writers and what plans they have for the characters they are making. The odds just not in their favor due to past history of past versions but still possible depending on the creative team. w the path of 616 or go in new directions. I recall a universe Peter didn't date a Gwen or a MJ version but this new gal named Chat. I really liked her also plus showing not characters were fated (thus not just freedom for artist creativity and new directions and charazations but also by feeling like there is not fate just means the characters have possibilities or failure in their hands and choices which just makes outcomes more powerful in good or bad).



For poor Captain Stacy it feels like for his versions direction usually he either dies (or not as Earth-65 father is still living after a beat down and still a console to his daughter with his own personal fears to boot for her) but it seems usually he will always know the Spider secrets in time (however for Gwen's case it's either he doesn't know and hunts her or knows and suddenly he's the 2ndary protagonist and console for Gwen).

Perhaps taking some inspirations from 616 past in a dark twist setting things up like how 616 Gwen is seen by some that 616 Peter not telling Gwen his secret meant also her not being prepared for possible dangers plus put in dangers she never knew or had a choice about from his secret that in the end got her killed (plus also Peter reacting without thinking in a panic snapping her neck). Now we also know in her grief Gwen blamed Spider-man and Spider-man/Peter blamed himself when Gwen died telling some cops he killed Gwen in a state of grief (but the cops knew he didn't and was just emotionally shakened)

In a dark twist Gwen has powers but her father doesn't know she does (perhaps in a ironic way Captain Stacy knows Peter is Spider-man but is totally unaware his daughter is Spider-Woman meanwhile Aunt May doesn't know Peter is Spider--man but does know Gwen is Spider-Woman (like Earth-65 Aunt May version where fans of that series felt she knew somehow before Gwen ousted herself)). One day just like how the Goblin went to peter's place and found a unsuspecting Gwen the Goblin or other villain goes to Gwen's place to attack Gwen and takes Captain Stacy. Gwen is the one that webswings to the bridge. Gwen's father discover's Gwen is Spider-woman on the bridge. Before they can even have a chance to talk about it all the villian surprise attacks knocking Captain Stacy off and Gwen panicking...SNAP.
When the cops shows up in the same way Peter did Gwen states that Spider-woman killed Captain Stacy in grief and hate for the villain but also herself. The cops once more tell her she didn't do anything...however due to recent technologies the cops have active cameras and recorders on them that Jameson somehow gets hold of and that statement is put into his show.

The Punisher hears about Captain Stacy's death and takes it hard as Captain Stacy was one of the few cops he trusted and vows to kill Spider-Woman. At the funeral everybody is talking and blaming Spider-WOman in front of the grieving Gwen and she has her temporary 'Spider-Woman no more' reaction.

In the end she is help by her friends, MJ, Peter, Miles, maybe Spider-Ham if he shows up, and afterwards resumes the mantle but still feels a great self guilt (in a way similar to Earth-65 Gwen guilt to 65 Peter)



Also one thing if a MJ and a Peter and a Gwen appears I DO NOT WANT A LOVE TRIANGLE! Tired or those and worse as a MJ and gwen fan the fanbase gets a bit toxic it feels around here.
If there is a love triangle involving Peter, MJ, and Gwen I rather a twist happen to it where instead of MJ and Gwen rivals for Peter it's instead Peter and Gwen rivals for MJ where Gwen and Peter have been best buds since they were kids but outside of family type love of brother and sister Gwen likes girls and was able to tell her secret to Peter first about this and by the time the series starts he knows and they pal around.

Otherwise if there is a Miles, Gwen, MJ, and Peter in a series I like that Peter as a teacher ideas from before and possible MJ also is in some form a mentor in some field (Peter for Miles and MJ for a younger Gwen Mile's age maybe) influenced by Enter the Spider-verse plus the new Marvel Action Spider-man where Gwen and Miles (and Peter) in that universe are the same age early teens).

[Miles To Go]

Remember Spider-Man Unlimited? Terrible show

I still remember how frank and honest Channel 5 were about that show when they covered the release of the 2002 Raimi movie. "It wasn't a success because of it's confusing plotlines" you would never catch any international brodcaster talking that kind of smack about a Marvel product now.

[SpiderX]

As much as I love Peter, I don't want to see another show about him. Most of his classic stories and villains have been covered, whether they were faithful adaptations or remixes. I would prefer a new series either focus on Miles Morales or Miguel O'hara.

I don't have a pitch for Miguel at the moment but I have something for Miles.

I agree with what most people said in so far as taking away the Spider-clan.

This series can focus on Miles being at the Brooklyn Visions Academy and being a fledgling hero; keeping the story more local and homegrown and less globetrotting. The only person who really knows of his identity would be Ganke who helps him figure out the hero stuff. This could be something similar to Virgil and Richie in Static Shock. Some of Peter's villains can be brought in very sparringly, but I mostly want this show to be allowed to build up Miles' world without any hinderance. I say let the writing team be given the chance to craft new supporting characters and villains. Maybe then we can get people in Miles' world that leap to the comic page from the screen like X-23 and Harley Quinn. This will also give the show the air of being new and viewers already well versed in decades of Spider-Man stories can enjoy not really knowing what to expect.

Keep the Uncle Aaron being a thief as part of the origin story and have him stealing stuff from Oscorp and that is how he accidentally picks up the spider. He delivers files about Oz to Roxxon who in turn uses that and mixes is with materials retrieved from Inhuman coccoons. The Inhuman cloud incident will only be slightly referenced as something that happened a few years ago and beyond that we wouldn't delve deeper into the larger Marvel world at large. However, the combination of Oz and Inhuman DNA has hit the streets as a new designer drug and is a long running thread throughout the series. This would also allow Tomoe to be brought in as a character to use as a villain.

Also, there has to be a barbershop that regularly shows up throughout the series.

[Undergrizer]

There is my thoughts. First, about animation. I think, Marvel Animation need make art styles for next cartoons not only high quality, but also unique. Eg - let's look on french studio Ankama Animation, and their most famous cartoon - Wakfu. Marvel and/or Disney can buy rights for Ankama's tool (or buy whole Ankama), and make new Spidey cartoon with mix of Adobe Flash, CGI, and cell shading. It's gonna be like Wakfu, but more looking like motion comics. Plus - some French spirit can bring uniqueness for Spidey cartoon, as for teen super hero show.
Also, looking on firsts current cartoon from ending of 2016, where was together Peter, Gwen and Miles, I think - it's gonna be better, if next cartoon be about Spider Team. Which started from forming of team with Spider-Men (Peter and Miles) and Ghost-Spider (Gwen). And in next seasons be more Spiders. MJ/Spinneret (in suit from Mangaverse), Scarlet Spider(s) and Silk (asian). Also, Miguel O'Hara/Spidey 2099 with his story line in year 2099. It's gonna be some Spider version of Teen Titans 2000s. And I think, Spider ongoing from IDW can be good inspiration for this.
Essential Aspects
1. More teen carton. With demographic 10-16 years.
2. A good mix of fighting crime and personal drama for team, juggling his responsibilities to both Spider Team and the city. Every member try combine personal life with super hero duty, and sometimes helps to other member with his/her personal life.
3. Main story begins with Gwen's missing. During a month-long search, Peter meets Miles, who fled from those who gave him spider power. Peter learns from him where he got his strength, and suggests that there might be Gwen. He goes there, but Miles goes with him. Subsequently, they find Gwen, who also now has spider powers (and an organic web out of her hands). As a result, they become a team. To find out who gave Gwen and Miles spider powers, and teach Miles the concept of Power and Responsibility.
4. Miles being the youngest (he is 13 years old) and an impulsive member of the team, throughout the beginning of history is inclined to commit arrestlessness and mistakes (for example, without knowing it, Rhino was helping, working for him for money).
5. Spider-Man's supporting cast consisting of at Aunt May, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan (mix of classic and modern - mulatto blonde), Ned Lids, Ganke Lee J. Jonah Jameson & the Bugle staff, Jeff Davis, Rio Morales, Captain George Stacy, and Yuri Watanabe.
6. The classic rogues' gallery consisting of at least Green (and, probably, in future, Red) Goblin (Norman), Dr. Octopus, Gaunt, Prowler (Aaron Davis), Vulture, Mysterio, Sandman, Silver Sable (but periodic - they unite) Lizard, Rhino, Shocker, Chameleon, Electro, Scorpion, Kingpin and Venom. Later, Alister Smythe, Carnage, Hobgoblin, Jackal, Menace, Boomerang and Morlan.
7. Norman Osborn/Green Goblin here is mix of classic and Ultimate versions. He mutated, but not so strong like in Ultimate, at least for beginning. His skin and hair just change colours, and he use glider and bombs. And also, he has Mendel Stromm/Gaunt as personal Igor. But later, in ending of season 3, he became more like in Ultimate. Team healed up him, but thanks to Carnage symbiote he return his powers, and became Red Goblin in final season. Also, he call himself a Father of Goblin Totem.
8. Dock Ock before incident was Gwen's teacher. But after incident he wish revenge to Osborn. He is became leader of Sinister Six, release Miles Warren/Jackal (which became cause of Spider-Island (in first season), and Clone Saga (in season 2), and with each evil from him, he falls on Gwen's eyes, and fight against him became for her personal.
9. Eddie Brock is at first a moral mentor for work on Daily Bugle and life for Peter. He is quite a nice guy. And even sometimes helps the team. He is trying to unravel the mystery around creative events, but the villains become the cause of satisfaction from the editorial board. And Spiders are also partly to blame. After becoming a Venom, he tries to take revenge on them. He kidnaps Mary Jane (and reveals the identity of our heroes to her), nearly kills her, and then reveals Peter's secret to the whole city (hello, "Spectacular Spider-Man). Everything goes according to plan, but when he learns that Aunt May was wounded (but later, she survived), he unsuccessfully tries to return over himself. And only thanks to the victory of the heroes over him, he comes to his senses, and somehow controlling the symbiote, he becomes an anti-hero. And fights against the Life Foundation (and Anne Weyning/She-Venom leader of Foundation), which afflict Carnage and other symbiotes.
10. Peter after season 1 starts try get free Eddie's post, for continue of his business against Kingpin.
11. MJ reveal secret of Spider Team, thanks to Venom, and became extra-member. In Spider-Island story, she get big doze of Spider-Virus, and transform in big monster. She of corse return in original state, but Spider powers will stay in her forever. In beginning of season 2, she is at first afraid of what happened to her. But when Peter and Gwen were captured, and it was necessary to save them, she and Miles went to save them, and she succeeded. And inspired by such a victory, she makes her own costume, and becomes part of the team. She also, before gaining strength, made costumes for the team. Her childhood story is very similar to the childhood story of Amazing Spider-Man # 259. Therefore, you must find a place for her elder sister Gayle and her two children. Mary is trying to build herself a successful life of an actress, a photo of a model and a fashion designer (as she created spider suits, and inspired to Janet Van Dyne/Wasp), and shows herself at school daring and cool. But, after receiving the strength, he becomes truly daring and self-absorbed, overpowering his fears and complexes.
12. Peter original was with Gwen, but after turning reveal in season 2, in season 3 Gwen gradually reduces Peter to MJ. Also cut hair, and make it in style of Gwenpool.
Important Aspects (but can be skipped if need be)
Harry Osborn is Hobgoblin, against his father.
Black Cat
High School and/or College setting
Ezekiel and Cindy/Silk father and daughter bond
Spider-Man 2009/Miguel O'Hara fight against creating Alchemax
Gwen/Ghost-Spider is clone
Liz Allan became Menace
Final of series is mix of "Maximum Carnage", "Revelations", "Goblin Nation" and ASM 800.
Ben Reily is died in final
Aspects to add in later seasons (if time permits)
Boomerang in Nick Spencer's style
Black Cat and Silver Sable was trained by one organisation
Aunt May reveal Peter's secret thanks to Venom, but hold this secret until season 3
Miles meet with Jessica Carradine
Plus, next Marvel cartoons should those things:
-Make episodes with other heroes with important role for story
-Make great music, and awesome opening themes. Even hire some bands and groups.

[jetengine]

People keep shitting on Spiderman Unlimited forgetting that it was devised as a 2099 Cartoon but the Executives had a full on meltdown that it didn't involve the classic Spiderman stuff so did a ludicrous hatchet job on it