By Zach Johnson
How does circumstance alter a person’s destiny?
That’s the question Jeff Trammell, the head writer, executive producer, and showrunner behind Marvel Animation’s series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, often asked himself as he was weaving together the narrative for Season 1, now streaming on Disney+.
Throughout 10 episodes, high school freshman Peter Parker (voiced by Hudson Thames) does his best to balance typical teenage tribulations with his alter-ego’s abnormal adventures. Above all, Peter just wants to help people, an attribute he shares with his classmate and friend Lonnie Lincoln (voiced by Eugene Byrd)—that is, until fate intervenes
“There was an early version of the show where Peter and Lonnie were on completely opposite ends,” Trammell recalled. “As time went on, I thought, ‘I don’t know if that’s fun. Let’s try putting Peter and Lonnie together and seeing how they complement each other.'”
According to Trammell, “Peter and Lonnie share a lot of really cool personality traits, but they’re also very different. Being able to juxtapose those characters as we take them on similar journeys with different obstacles is something I was really interested in exploring.”
Thames said the dynamic between Peter and Lonnie is filled with nuance and heart. “I think Peter’s relationship with Lonnie is really beautiful,” the actor said. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the whole series, actually. I think the way that it grows and changes is really cool.”
Peter is dealing with a lot, from an unrequited crush to an internship at Oscorp Industries—not to mention everything he does as Spider-Man. Lonnie has a lot on his plate, too. As captain of the football team, he wants to make his parents proud. Family means everything to Lonnie, which is why he doesn’t think twice about saving his little brother from the 110th St. gang—even if it means changing the trajectory of his own life.
“Lonnie has so much history in the comics, but there is so much more to explore with him onscreen,” Trammell said. “That was what really drew me to him. Peter is going through growing pains, and he cares so much, and Lonnie is doing the same. Lonnie has a huge heart, and so he does what he feels is necessary given the circumstances. At the end of the day, he cares too much—to a fault. Peter is like that, too. They’re both intrinsically people who want to help but are taken on different journeys throughout the course of this show.”
In the Season 1 finale, Lonnie was able to help Peter when he needed it most—proving that, perhaps, he’s not a victim of circumstance after all. But the events in that episode also hinted that his life is about to get, well, harder. “A lot of those teases are there because they’re all so exciting to explore,” Trammell said of what happens to Peter, Lonnie, and their friends in the finale (and what lies ahead). “I look at Season 1 like we’re building this world, and we’re setting the board. In Season 2 and future seasons, now we’re playing the game.”