Spider-Man: Freshman Year is reportedly at risk of being canceled due to broader cost-cutting measures at Marvel Studios.
According to several industry insiders, the fate of the Marvel Phase 5 project has not been officially determined. However, all signs point to the Spider-Man animated TV series, a non-canon entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), being canceled as Marvel and Disney cap spending and start laying off staff.
The first signs that things were not going well came from those working on Freshman Year, which is scheduled to arrive in 2024 on Disney Plus. On November 9, freshman principal Liza Singer tweeted that she was actively seeking job opportunities beginning in mid-December.
Normally, that would not trigger any alarms. But, since Freshman Year isn't expected to be released (if at all) for another 13 months at the earliest, there's likely still a lot of post-production work to be done. If Singer leaves the project now (mid-November 2022) while there is still work to be done, it doesn't bode well for the future of the series.
Good morning to all! I'll be looking for directing and story opportunities starting in mid-December! Please keep me in mind! I'm also open to features, live action and gaming! freelance, full time, etc.
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In the days that followed, other key first-year employees also revealed that they would be leaving Marvel Studios. 2D animator and character designer Li Cree (opens in a new tab), along with writing assistant Dan Park (opens in a new tab), confirmed that they were disappointed to see their time in first grade end so soon. . The duo's tweets closely follow Singer's original tweet: Cree will be posted on November 11, and Park on November 15.
Freshman cancellation rumors have increased since Park's tweet. The Spider-Man Updates Twitter fan account (opens in a new tab), not a reliable source, by the way, hinted that they had heard "bad news" about the first year, even going so far as to suggest that "it wasn't a delay". either".
Countering that claim, The Cosmic Circus (opens in a new tab), a Marvel insider with a good track record, claimed that no decision has yet been made on the future of the first year. According to his sources, the Spider-Man animated TV series will still be released in 2024, but the idea of canceling it entirely "has been discussed."
Clearly, there's a lot of confusion about what the future holds for Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which isn't helped by rumors and conjecture circulating from MCU insiders. As cliché as it may be to say, however, there is no smoke without fire. Right now the first year is in trouble, we just don't know how much trouble it's really in. We've reached out to Marvel/Disney for comment and will update this article if we hear anything.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year is one of many ongoing television projects at Marvel Studios. Some highly-anticipated live-action shows including Loki Season 2 and Secret Invasion are slated for a 2023 release. One Anime Series Only: What If...? season 2 is scheduled to arrive next year, with reports suggesting it will land in early 2023.
Analysis: entangled in a web of cost-cutting measures
Spider-Man: Freshman Year's apparent problems aren't the only issues facing Marvel's animation department.
According to industry insider KC Walsh(opens in a new tab), other MCU anime television series are struggling, with layoffs already underway and showrunners unsure what the future holds for their projects. . Currently, freshman year and what if...? are the only officially announced Marvel Disney Plus shows. If other productions were in the early stages of development, they could be canned before they see the light of day.
If these reports are true, and in our opinion you should take them with a giant pinch of salt for now, they speak to broader financial problems Marvel and Disney have. Speaking to employees on November 9 (per CNBC (opens in a new tab)), Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed that the world-renowned studio is implementing a hiring freeze effective immediately. Chapek also disclosed that layoffs were likely, saying, "During this evaluation process, we will review all labor and operational options to find cost savings, and we anticipate some headcount reductions as part of this review."
As Marvel is a subsidiary of Disney, it will no doubt be affected by its parent company's cost-cutting measures. Unfortunately for Marvel's animation department, it's likely to take the biggest financial hit, with shows like Freshman Year and What If...? it's not technically canon in the MCU. Subsequently, they will be the most affected by contract reductions and terminations. Marvel won't want to pull the plug on its live-action series, including its upcoming Daredevil TV reboot, so its animation division will take the hit.
If Marvel's animation team bears the brunt of the studio's various departments, it will be another blow to the animation industry, which has been devastated throughout 2022. Earlier this year, Netflix canceled several shows due to to huge subscriber losses and spiraling costs, with their animation department losing out.
In August and September, the anime offerings on HBO Max saw even greater success, as Warner Bros. Discovery removed entire animated series, such as Infinity Train, from the streamer's back catalog. Animated shows in development, including Batman: Caped Crusader, have also been canceled by HBO in an effort to save money and streamline the service. Additionally, thousands of Twitter employees have been laid off following the controversial acquisition of Elon Musk (read more in our live blog about the chaos engulfing Twitter), while Amazon is set to lay off up to 10,000 employees in the near future.
So Marvel and Disney aren't the only companies tightening portfolio strings, but that will be little consolation for employees who have lost or will lose their jobs. For these two entertainment powerhouses, Spider-Man: Freshman Year could well be the start of a financial crisis, and it's an ominous sign for every MCU project, the staff working on it, and fans of the film franchise. in the world.
For more Marvel-based content, check out what's yet to be released as part of the studio's MCU Phase 4 slate. If not, read how to watch Marvel movies in order or find out which Marvel TV shows make our list of the best shows on Disney Plus.
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