Last year, Marvel turned heads by ending the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man and quickly following it up with a brand new series, Marvel’s Spider-Man. Many questioned the purpose of replacing one Spider-Man cartoon with another, especially given that both shows focus on a high school-age Peter Parker. However, with time it’s become clear that there’s more distinguishing Marvel’s Spider-Man than simply its rebooted continuity and overhauled animation style. Marvel’s Spider-Man is the first animated series that truly feels like an ensemble project. For the first time, Spidey is on equal footing with heroes like Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy and Anya Corazon.
That ensemble approach has really become evident with the show’s current five-part storyline, “Spider-Island.” A loose adaptation of the comic book storyline of the same name, “Spider-Island” explores what happens when millions of Manhattan residents suddenly develop spider powers. That plot twist has allowed for both Spider-Gwen (voiced by Laura Bailey) and Spider-Girl (voiced by Melanie Minichino) to join Peter and Miles in the superhero game, effectively transforming Spider-Man from a solo player to a member of a full-fledged superhero team.