The Marvel Cinematic Universe may be going through a bit of a rough patch on the big screen, but ask any kid under the age of 10, and they’ll tell you the brand is alive and thriving thanks to “Spidey and His Amazing Friends.”
One need only point to the hoards of children dressed up as show-accurate Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales for Halloween as evidence of the Disney animated preschool show’s reach. Or head to the toy section at Target to see entire aisles devoted to “Spidey” merch and action figures and web shooters. Or scroll through TikTok videos of Millennial parents rocking out to the theme song.
But the numbers speak for themselves:
- 1 billion hours streamed on Disney+ globally in 2025
- Nearly 3 billion views on YouTube
- Top 3 streaming series for kids and boys 2-5 in 2025, behind only “Bluey” and “Paw Patrol”
- Over 120 million streams of the theme song across platforms
This thing is everywhere, and it’s not slowing down.
January will mark the release of the 100th episode of “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” on Disney Jr. and Disney+, and with a preemptive renewal for Season 6 to air in 2027, the show marks the first Disney Jr. series to ever run for six seasons.
“When it hit our platforms, immediately this was the show that rose to the top,” Alyssa Spire, the head of Disney Jr. Original Programming and Strategy, told TheWrap of the show’s instant success when it launched in 2021. “Parents were scrambling for the costumes and the toys, and knowing that the kids want to continue the play and experience outside of watching, that’s when you know something is really resonating.”
The Marvel Studios Animation show was born out of the success that Disney had with Marvel in live action, but Marvel had never made a preschool show before. Disney tapped Marvel comics writer Harrison Wilcox to serve as executive producer on “Spidey and His Amazing Friends.” In a true collaboration that would make Team Spidey proud, he worked in tandem with Disney Jr. to help ensure that this new Spider-Man preschool series would maintain the heart of the character that comics fans have loved for decades, while also appealing to a much younger generation.
“Going all the way back to the comics in the 1960s, he was the first relatable superhero,” Wilcox told TheWrap. “He reflected the audience and the world around him, and I keep saying this in writers’ rooms, his greatest power is that he always does the right thing. He’s beloved around the world for that, so we knew he was our strongest bet in terms of introducing a character to preschoolers and their families that they would not only accept but really be excited to go on adventures with.”
One of the key creative decisions made early on that has proved fruitful both from a creative and branding point of view was to center the show on three different Spider-People: Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales.
Wilcox said the increased popularity of Miles Morales and Ghost Spider in the films and comics spurred the move, explaining that the differing personalities complimented one another well for a preschool show. Peter’s the scientist, or a “futurist” as Wilcox put it. Gwen “has a love of music and she’s a bit of a detective,” while Miles — the youngest of the team — is “an artist and lives in the moment.”
That dynamic not only provides natural dramatic tension for the show, but allows viewers to identify with different heroes at different times — which of course means kids want three costumes instead of one.
But the writers also relish getting to take iconic Marvel Comics villains like Green Goblin and Doc Ock and turn them into preschool-friendly baddies. For example, one episode revolves around a fight against Electro, whose dastardly plan involves playing electric guitar too loud at the park.
“It is a lot of fun to take characters that you spent your whole life enjoying and find a way to fit them into this preschool-friendly world,” Wilcox said. “I give a lot of credit to Bart Jennett, our head writer and our producer, who once we decide what the new villain is going to be in the new theme of the show, is key in figuring out what are the differences here and personality and power set, and how do we still tell preschool-friendly stories from a comprehension perspective?”
Both Spire and Wilcox credited the arrival of themed mini-arcs with taking the show to another level. A “Dino-Webs” arc of episodes in 2024 brought a dinosaur theme to the storylines, including introducing a Spider-Man Tyrannosaurus rex. That was followed by a “Water-Webs” arc that went full pirate, and next up is “Rescue Webs,” which Wilcox told TheWrap will mash up Spider-Man and firetrucks.
“If you are four years old and you love Spidey and you love fire trucks and helicopters and rescue vehicles in general, this is made for you,” he said.
The show will also introduce its version of Venom, named Symbie, who will arrive in an upcoming episode. But don’t worry about this symbiote being too scary for toddlers — Symbie is “just a little scamp, a shapeshifter” who “just likes to run around and cause trouble,” Wilcox explained. Parents of toddlers wouldn’t know anything about that.
And while no one would mistake “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” for being part of the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a “master plan” that comes down from leadership and there’s frequent communication with the “Spidey” team to make sure that nothing the Disney show is planning will conflict with what the larger MCU is doing, Wilcox said.
“Spidey” has been such a success that Disney Jr. launched a new similar show based on Iron Man called “Iron Man and His Amazing Friends” earlier this year, which led to an “Avengers” team-up event.
It’s a beneficial partnership all around, especially as “Spidey and His Amazing Friends” seems to be creating a passionate generation of young fans who will eventually age into the live-action “Spider-Man” and Marvel films.
“‘Spidey’ really is fueling a broader strategy that Disney Junior and Marvel have in expanding the Marvel preschool universe to continue to evolve the storylines to feature even more characters,” Spire said.
But one thing both Spire and Wilcox reiterated is they don’t take the success of the show — or the responsibility of making it — for granted.
“We know the impact on preschoolers is potentially huge in such an exciting way. We want to make sure that we’re doing it responsibly and in a way that they both see as fun and that they’re getting some of those great social and emotional messages,” Spire added. “ I’m just so excited that we’re able to lay the foundation, and continue to find fresh ways to tell those stories.”
“Spidey and His Amazing Friends” Seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Disney+.
The post How Disney Kids Sensation ‘Spidey and His Amazing Friends’ Reached 1 Billion Hours Streamed in 100 Episodes appeared first on TheWrap.
