Likable interpretation plays up Spidey's human side.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Street violence like shootouts between police and bad guys, but no visible injuries or deaths. Villains use superhuman powers against Spider-Man, who fights back by trapping them with his webs and using his webs to escape. Much threatening talk between adversaries. Also explosions and other catastrophes.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
This series is the latest in a long list to be inspired by Marvel comics and characters.
Positive Messages
some
Peter Parker's is a true underdog story, and he never disavows his practical nature and commitment to doing good even as his fame as a superhero grows. When faced with a moral dilemma, he always chooses based on helping other people. He's inspired by role models like (the memory of) his uncle, and his new mentor, Max. Positive traits make some characters stand out against others, but in some cases, it's the duplicitous villains who win the day. Girls are somewhat underrepresented in Peter's science-geared school, but those who are there are obvious equals to their male counterparts.
Positive Role Models
some
Peter's selflessness and courage save others on a regular basis. Other characters are motivated by greed or revenge, but Peter always looks beyond his own needs to think about other people.
Educational Value
none
The series intends to entertain rather than to educate.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Marvel's Spider-Man is a retelling of Peter Parker's evolution into the web-slinging hero. It focuses heavily on how he balances his alter-egos of superhero and average teen. Despite being his town's regular savior from the likes of The Vulture and other villains, Peter has his share of relatable troubles, as well, notably money and caring for his aging aunt after her husband's death. As such, Peter is an unusually "human" hero with whom viewers will sympathize, especially when unscrupulous people (often posing as friends) take advantage of his integrity. Many scenes show characters engaged in conflict, battling with superpowers in some cases and weapons in others. Often Peter faces a choice between saving himself and helping others, raising moral quandaries for viewers.
First off this is a amazing binge worthy show. I was just going to watch the first few episodes with my 12 year old son but I ended up watching the whole thing with him. It was amazing! There are a few episodes that might be a bit much especially in season 3. Venom is a symbiode that takes over main characters and makes them evil. Venom keeps evolving and being expiremented on making him stronger way more evil and makes aperance even freakier. The most disturbing episode is titled maximum venom it is a two part finale with disturbing venom sisters. The w hijole third season is just kind of creepy and violent. There are also a lot of great messages about friendship. My final note is the first episode is painful dorrkines so get through that and the show is great.
We are getting really into this during the quarantine. I have an almost 6 year old and a 7 1/2 year old and they can get scared of movies easily but have had no issues so far. There is fighting but it’s superhero type stuff where no one really gets hurt except the bad guys, and they mostly go to jail or get hurled into space. It’s exciting and fun to watch and there are some good messages about friendship, redemption, and working as a team.
What's the Story?
MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN opens just weeks after Peter Parker's (voiced by Robbie Daymond) fateful arachnid bite genetically modifies him and turns him into an unwitting superhero. But even with his powers growing by the day, Peter finds a sizable learning curve to becoming a superhero. And then there are the demands of his new placement at Horizon High, a school for teens gifted in the sciences where Peter meets a new mentor, the brilliant scientist Max Modell (Fred Tatasciore). Meanwhile, Peter's best friend, Harry (Max Mittelman), recently was ousted from Horizon on false accusations of academic dishonesty, inspiring Peter to help him uncover who's behind the stunt and why.
If you're wondering whether Spidey's popularity can possibly support yet another animated series, don't worry: It can. This one picks up a few weeks into the development of Peter's new alter-ego, so he's still learning the ropes -- er, webs? -- of his powers. And that trademark red-and-blue bodysuit? It doesn't even exist yet, so the Peter you'll meet is still swinging into action in sweats and goggles. But as has always been the case with this hero in particular, it's his humanity that endears him to viewers, and they'll get a lot of that here.
For the casual Marvel fan, Marvel's Spider-Man is a fun, action-filled series that pays homage to the character's comic book beginnings throughout the episodes. Those with a solid working knowledge of the Marvel universe as a whole, though, will find an underlying web entwining Spidey's story with other villains' and heroes' and helping make this a promising addition to the Marvel franchise.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how this iteration of Spider-Man compares to that of other shows and movies. What characteristics stand out in Marvel's Spider-Man more than you've noticed in others? Does the fact that he's flawed make him more or less appealing to you?
How does Peter make decisions when he's faced with them? Is he always selfless, or do his own concerns ever outweigh the greater good? What broader themes of compassion and kindness do his dilemmas raise? Why are these important character strengths?
This story suggests that friends can become enemies in the blink of an eye. Have you ever experienced this kind of manipulation? What issues cause problems among your peers? How do you cope with them?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
