The upcoming “Spider-Man: The Year of the Freshman” promises to be another intriguing animated adventure in the early years of Spider-Man’s superhero career, introducing fans to a new set of villains, heroes and high school students overflowing Peter Parker’s teenage life.
While Comic-Con in San Diego revealed more than a dozen characters who will appear in the series, which is scheduled to premiere in 2024 on Disney+, there are still a few unconfirmed characters from Marvel comics who need to appear in the series to create a complete picture. a look at the world of Spider-Man.
Iron man
Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, is one of the most prominent Avengers of the Marvel universe and is often a close associate of Spider-Man. The two superheroes have a very close relationship in the Marvel Cinematic universe, and although “Freshman Year” is not canon in the MCU, the animated series could have succeeded if a major Avenger like Stark had appeared in the first season.
Despite the fact that “Freshman Year” is not MCU canon, it has already been confirmed that some characters popular in the superhero franchise will appear, including Doctor Strange and Daredevil, and Charlie Cox will return to voice the latter. Whether additional superheroes will appear in the series is still unknown, although Iron Man would certainly be the best choice for such a cameo.
Flash Thompson
Eugene “Flash” Thompson is a Peter Parker High School student who often gets into the “popular” crowd. Flash has always had a friendly rivalry with Peter Parker, and the first years of their interaction mainly consisted of the fact that Flash ruthlessly bullied the weaker Parker. Tony Revolori plays Thompson in the MCU, although it is unknown if he will return to Freshman.
Given its episodic format and potential for future seasons, “Year of the Freshman” has the opportunity to explore both the antagonistic side of Peter and Flash’s relationship and the friendship that eventually blossoms between the two young people, an element that is important to comics but that is rarely explored in movies.
Liz Allan
Liz Allan is Peter Parker’s classmate and his first love. As Laura Harrier in Spider-Man: Homecoming” shows that Liz also has feelings for Peter Parker, although their potential for a relationship dissipates after it is revealed that she is the daughter of a Vulture (Michael Keaton).
If Liz does appear in this upcoming series, it’s likely that the story will be closer to the comic book version of the character, which has nothing to do with the Vulture. Instead, the show may decide to explore Liz’s relationship with Harry Osborne, whose appearance has already been confirmed in the first season along with his father Norman.
Robbie Robertson
Joe “Robbie” Robertson is the amiable city editor of the Daily Bugle and John John Jameson’s deputy. Unlike the much more noisy and passionate Jameson, Robbie is generally liked by his employees for his calm demeanor and understanding nature.
Although Robbie Robertson does appear in all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, played by Bill Nunn, the character has yet to truly make an impression outside of it. Robbie, an important character in the Spider-Man myths, has a unique opportunity to truly prove himself as a recurring character in the Freshman.
J. Jonah Jameson
J. Jonah Jameson is the publisher of the Daily Bugle and a sworn opponent of the Amazing Spider-Man. Continuing his crusade against the web-weaving superhero for decades, Jameson has even been responsible for creating several supervillains in Spider-Man’s Rogues Gallery, but always finds a way to blame his nemesis for everything that goes wrong in New York.
Jameson has been perfectly portrayed by J.K. Simmons in five Spider-Man films over the past two decades, creating a fan-favorite version of the character. Any long-running Spider-Man franchise will seem empty without the presence of a flat-headed reporter, and therefore it’s unlikely that Jameson will be completely absent from the series, even if he only appears in a cameo role or two during the first season.
The Human Torch
The Human Torch is a popular commodity for Marvel Studios, as the rights to the film adaptation of the Fantastic Four have returned to their hands. Fans are eagerly awaiting the Marvel version of the character, offering a variety of actors who could play Johnny Storm in the MCU. However, the character may appear in the next issue of “Freshman Year”.
Spider-Man and Torch-Man have had a love-hate relationship throughout their comic history, but they have always remained an interesting couple to watch interact with. Given that “The Year of the Freshman” will feature various teams between Spider-Man and various superheroes, the series will be the perfect game to re-introduce the Human Torch before its inevitable debut in the MCU.
