The MCU's Spider-Man: Freshman Year promises to be an intriguing dive into the early years of Peter Parker's high school career, including his first batch of supervillains and the fateful spider bite that would turn the young man into the Amazing Spider-Man.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 seemingly confirmed that, while this animated Disney+ series will not be MCU canon, it will feature plenty of intriguing characters from the comic books. As such, several characters have been confirmed to appear in the upcoming series when it premieres in 2024.
Doctor Strange
Though Spider-Man: Freshman Year is no longer considered to be MCU canon, it will evidently continue to feature characters that have become prominent in the sprawling superhero franchise. Concept art was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 that revealed the involvement of the Master of the Mystic Arts himself, Doctor Stephen Strange, in the animated series.
Since his debut, Doctor Strange has been an unmistakable personality of the MCU, which would normally indicate Freshman Year's canonicity. However, since the show is forging a new canon by its mere existence, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man will now be free to interact as necessary without the creators worrying about rewriting preexisting events.
Rhino
Aleksei Systevich, better known as the villainous Rhino, will be appearing as a member of Spider-Man's expansive Rogues Gallery. The character is known for his massive build which, when coupled with his Rhino super suit, allows him to cause great destruction wherever he may choose to rampage.
The Rhino initially appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 and has been a frequent enemy of Spider-Man ever since. The villain has also made a single live-action appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where he was portrayed by Paul Giamatti. Whereas fans did not particularly like Giamatti's take on the character, Freshman Year may provide a more comics-accurate depiction of the Rhino.
Scorpion
The Scorpion is one of Spider-Man's more famous villains, who will be appearing in at least one episode of Freshman Year. A criminal named Mac Gargan becomes Scorpion whenever he dons a custom-made battle suit, which comes with a venomous tail equipped with poison toxic enough to knock even Spider-Man out.
Scorpion, who first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #19, has never been fully adapted in live-action. Michael Mando portrayed a powerless Mac Gargan in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but has not returned to the MCU since. Freshman Year could amend this forgotten storyline, showing audiences what his supervillain might have looked like.
Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn was revealed to be a major part of Spider-Man: Freshman Year at Comic-Con, with the Marvel panel revealing that he will be taking on a mentorship role for Peter Parker in the series, seemingly filling the role that Tony Stark played for Peter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Freshman Year has the exciting opportunity to adapt any or all of Norman Osborn's truly amazing story arcs from the Amazing Spider-Man comic books. The character, well-known as the villainous Green Goblin, has appeared in multiple Spider-Man franchises through the years, and fans are already excited to see a new take on the iconic character.
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Otto Octavius, also known by his supervillain name of Doctor Octopus, is one of Spider-Man greatest villains of all time. Naturally, he will be appearing as a major antagonist in Spider-Man: Freshman Year, though the extent of his involvement still remains unknown.
Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's earliest villains in the comic books, debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #3, where he bests the superhero in their first bout. The supervillain has also been depicted in live-action by Alfred Molina, first in the beloved Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 2 and once more in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Tarantula
The Maria Vasquez version of the Tarantula will be appearing in Spider-Man: Freshman Year. The Tarantula is the moniker given to several comic book villains through the years, though the Vasquez version of the character has been more commonly depicted as an antihero, who has had dealings with the Heroes for Hire organization.
Maria Vasquez made her debut in Marvel Comics in Heroes for Hire (volume 2) #1, and, despite appearing in the upcoming Spider-Man-centric series, is not typically associated with the web-slinging hero. How she interacts with Peter Parker in the upcoming series and whether or not she will be portrayed as a villain remain unknown.
Speed Demon
James Sanders, otherwise known as Speed Demon, is a supervillain from Marvel Comics with the ability to move at extreme speeds, making him an especially difficult enemy to catch. He primarily uses his powers for robberies and petty theft, placing him rather low in any superhero's Rogues Gallery.
Speed Demon first appeared in Avengers #69 as a member of the supervillain team Squadron Supreme. Though known as Whizzer at the time, Sanders would later change his laughable supervillain name in order to adopt the more threatening moniker of Speed Demon, which he would retain for most of his comic book history.
Chameleon
The Chameleon, sometimes known as Dmitri Smerdyakov, is the very first supervillain that Spider-Man ever faced, making his debut appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #1, where he adopted the identity of the superhero in order to frame him for various crimes, using his ability to transform into any living creature.
Despite the Chameleon being one of Spider-Man's most important villains, he has rarely appeared in films or on television. Numan Acar's covert agent from Spider-Man: Far From Home is listed as Dmitri Smerdyakov in the film's credits, implying that he could potentially become his superpowered counterpart at some point in the MCU's future. His presence, therefore, in Spider-Man: Freshman Year lends credence to the idea that the series is, in fact, a separate continuity from the MCU.
Unicorn
The Unicorn, known by his civilian name of Milos Masaryk, is an obscure villain from Marvel Comics with the ability to shoot powerful laser beams out of the synthetic horn on the top of his helmet. The character will make an appearance in the upcoming Disney+ show, perhaps as a comedic foil to Spider-Man's other more serious villains.
Despite his relative obscurity, the Unicorn is one of Marvel's oldest villains, making his first appearance as far back as 1964 in Tales of Suspense #56. While the supervillain is not typically depicted as being an enemy of Spider-Man's, this appears to have been changed for Freshman Year.
Harry Osborn
In both comics and film, Harry Osborn has often had a friendly rivalry with Peter Parker. The two are often depicted as friends, though fans of the Spider-Man mythos will immediately recognize Harry as one of the more brutal Green Goblins, following in his father's footsteps as Spider-Man's arch-nemesis.
Harry has been depicted in differing lights in his various film and television appearances, sometimes portrayed sympathetically and, at other times, as quite callous. It is unclear what rendition of the character Freshman Year will adopt but, with the indication that Norman Osborn will become the Green Goblin in the series, fans can expect Harry to follow a similar road in future seasons.
Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho is one of the most intelligent characters in the Marvel Pantheon. Known as a boy genius from an early age, Cho eventually becomes the superhero known as Brawn, a member of the Hulk Family of superheroes.
While Cho's appearance in Freshman Year may be a headscratcher for many fans given that the character is not often included in Spider-Man stories, it seems as though he will be depicted as one of Peter Parker's highs school classmates in the upcoming series, perhaps hinting at a larger future for the character both in future seasons and in the MCU itself.
Tombstone
Tombstone is an enforcer and eventual leader in the criminal underground of New York City. Commonly depicted whispering his dialogue, Tombstone, otherwise known as Alonzo Lincoln, has superhuman strength and durability that make him a terrifying foe for those who would oppose his reign.
Tombstone first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #36, where he was shown to have a long history with a longtime friend of Spider-Man, Robbie Robertson. Given that Robertson is not yet confirmed for the series, fans can expect Tombstone's backstory to go in a different direction than in the comics.
Nico Minoru
Nico Minoru is a teenage superhero from Marvel Comics and a prominent member of the Runaways. Using the Staff of One, which she inherited from her villainous mother Tina Minoru, Nico can manipulate the world around her via magical means. She is expected to be depicted as a classmate of Peter Parker in Freshman Year.
Nico made her first appearance among the other members of the Runaways in 2003's Runaways #1, and has been a member of the team ever since. The character was previously portrayed by Lyrica Okano in Hulu's Runaways series, which is still considered by some to be MCU canon.
The Wizard
The Wizard is a frequent villain of the Fantastic Four in Marvel Comics, occasionally engaging in battle with the Amazing Spider-Man as well. He uses his scientific mind to create gadgets capable of great destruction, though he fades into obscurity on several occasions throughout Marvel's comic history.
The Wizard made his first appearance in Strange Tales #102 as an enemy of the first Human Torch and has made scattered appearances throughout the Marvel Universe since. The Wizard, also known as Bentley Wittmann, will be voiced by Paul F. Thompkins.
May Parker
May Parker is the closest thing that Peter Parker has ever had to a mother, raising him alongside her husband Ben through the boy's childhood. After Ben's death, May takes sole custody of Peter, becoming his most solid support system and dearest loved one.
Aunt May was portrayed by Marisa Tomei in the MCU's Spider-Man films until her death in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While the upcoming animated series is no longer considered MCU canon, given that it was initially conceived as such, fans can expect Freshman Year's May to be loosely modeled on Tomei's version of the character.
Matt Murdock/Daredevil
One of the more exciting reveals from Freshman Year's panel at Comic-Con was the announcement that Charlie Cox would be reprising his role as Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil, in the animated series. Cox previously played the superhero in Netflix's Defenders Saga and is confirmed to be returning in several upcoming MCU projects, including Daredevil: Born Again, a continuation of his story.
It is unclear how prominent a role Daredevil will play in Freshman Year, but many fans hope to see a team-up between the vigilante and Spider-Man. The two superheroes are frequent collaborators in the comics, lending credence to such a theory. Additionally, Cox's reprisal in this animated series serves to get fans even more excited for Daredevil's return to the MCU.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Peter Parker will be the protagonist of Spider-Man: Freshman Year. The burgeoning superhero's journey through the first year of high school and struggle to balance his social life with that of Spider-Man will be depicted in the series, which appears to be a rewritten continuity based on the MCU's Spider-Man origins.
While little is known about Spider-Man's characterization in the upcoming series, fans can expect its version of Peter Parker to be loosely based on that of Tom Holland's. The voice actor for Peter in Freshman Year remains unknown, though it appears clear that it will not be Holland, much to many fans' disappointment.