Spider-Man: The New Animated Series

Lore & Background

The series was ordered by MTV as early as January 2002, originally planned as an adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. After the success of Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man film, the show was reworked to follow its continuity. Michael Rosenbaum was approached for the lead role but did not audition; Neil Patrick Harris, Lisa Loeb, and Ian Ziering were announced as the primary voice cast in May 2002. The producers found that MTV's relaxed standards allowed more creative freedom than typical for a Saturday-morning cartoon.

Peter Parker was originally to wear baggier clothes to hide his superhero musculature, but cost-effective difficulties with the CGI prevented folds in his everyday attire, so his street clothes were redesigned to be close-fitting and contemporary. Aunt May was not included (except for a photograph in Peter's bedroom) because MTV executives feared elderly characters would deter the target youth audience. The series was canceled after 13 episodes, reportedly due to low ratings. Director Brandon Vietti stated that had the series continued, he would have used the villains Mysterio, Vulture, and more of Kraven.

Reader's Guide

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series holds significance as a direct animated continuation of the 2002 Spider-Man film, though its events were later contradicted by Spider-Man 2 (2004), rendering it a separate universe. It ran for only one season of 13 episodes, airing from July 11 to September 12, 2003. The series was nominated for an Annie Award in 2004 for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production, and the episode 'Keeping Secrets' received a nomination for Outstanding Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production. The complete series was released on DVD as Spider-Man: The New Animated Series: Special Edition on January 13, 2004, with four separate DVD volumes also released from 2004 to 2005. The series was made available for streaming on Disney+ on October 19, 2022, but was removed on December 4, 2023. As of June 2025, it is available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Fandango at Home.

Did You Know?

• The series was initially intended as an adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics before being reworked to follow the 2002 film's continuity.
• Aunt May was omitted from the series except for a photograph, because MTV executives feared elderly characters would deter young viewers.
• The episodes aired on MTV out of the correct scripted order; the DVD releases present them in the correct order.