TV SERIES · 2003– · USA
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
23 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (23)
- #001
Because the series was developed for MTV, its stories were exempt from the censorship standards applied to children's programming. For the first time in a Spider-Man series, characters were allowed to die on screen, and mild language was used.
- #002
The series was initially conceived as an adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book. Plans changed, however, after Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002) became a huge box-office success and Marvel Enterprises turned the series into a continuation animated show so that fans could follow Peter Parker through his college years until Spider-Man 2 (2004).
- #003
Michael Clarke Duncan reprises his role as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk from the film Daredevil (2003).
- #004
Spider-Man is seen eating pizza in almost every episode.
- #005
Peter Parker's cell phone ringtone is the famous Nokia ringtone played backwards.
- #006
A quirk of the computer animation led to changes in Mary Jane and Kraven from their comic-book look. Because MJ's long hair and Kraven's lion-mane vest tended to pass through their bodies, the animators opted for a short cut for her and a leather jacket for him.
- #007
Spider-Man's costume design is based on the version from the film Spider-Man (2002), with inspiration also drawn from certain comic-book artists. The eyes move with an expression similar to Steve Ditko's art, the webbing resembles the knotted spaghetti look created by Todd McFarlane, and Spidey has the slim, youthful appearance Mark Bagley gave him.
- #008
In the original script for the film When Sparks Fly (2003), Professor Williams was killed by Electro.
- #009
Neon signs were used in some episodes to evoke a film noir feel.
- #010
While Sony was working on the feature film Spider-Man (2002), Adelaide Productions also signed a contract with Sony to develop an animated series at the same time. Series director and co-producer Audu Paden began working with one of Sony's creative executives. At that point they hired Brian Michael Bendis, who wrote a pilot script that was very unusual and different and based on the Marvel Comics comic book "Ultimate Spider-Man." Thanks to Bendis's script and some early concept drawings the creative team was working on, the series was explored. Music Television (MTV) thought it was great and made a deal in the fall of 2001 to bring the series to its network.
- #011
In this series Harry Osborn has blond hair, unlike the brown-haired version in the film Spider-Man (2002) or the red-haired version in the comics. A photograph of his father, Norman Osborn, shows that he too has blond hair, since Harry and Norman always share the same hair type.
- #012
Many character models and costumes were reworked and reused.
- #013
The series' animation was handled by Mainframe Entertainment and produced using 3D computer animation technology and techniques, created to look similar to traditional cel animation. According to a behind-the-scenes documentary on the DVD release, the plan was initially to animate the characters in conventional CGI similar to ReBoot (1994) and other series, but it was decided the characters would look more appealing if rendered in a traditional 2D cel animation style.
- #014
The animators consumed more than 200 rolls of Rolaids over the course of the season.
- #015
Shikata was originally intended to be the character Kraven the Hunter, who later appeared in the two-part series finale.
- #016
After Adelaide Productions decided to make the series a computer-animated show, they had to find which studio could work with them on it. Because Spider-Man is a popular character, many studios were interested in working on the project, and open auditions were held. They wanted to know whether a studio had the aesthetic and technical abilities to achieve what they wanted in the art direction. What they were looking for was a cartoon-style line around the character's exterior that storytellers could control very carefully. The studio that won the bid was Mainframe Entertainment, based in Vancouver, Canada.
- #017
This animated series takes place in the Earth-760207 version of the Marvel Comics multiverse.
- #018
The episodes aired on MTV in the correct script order. The DVD releases also place the episodes in the correct order.
- #019
Along with The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008), it is the only Spider-Man animated series not owned by Disney Entertainment.
- #020
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) is the only animated series produced by Sony Pictures Animation for Music Television (MTV).
- #021
After Adelaide Productions was shut down in 2014, the rights now belong to Sony Pictures Animation.
- #022
Guest stars included one Oscar winner, Keith Carradine, and two Oscar nominees, Virginia Madsen and Michael Clarke Duncan.
- #023
It is the first Spider-Man animated series to star a young Peter Parker since Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981).
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