Disney+ Removes ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ Without Warning
If you ask any Spider-Man fan what the best-animated series is, there are two schools of thought.
Fans who grew up in the 1990s will unflinchingly answer Spider-Man the Animated Series. Alongside X-Men the Animated Series, Spider-Man, Hobgoblin, and Mary Jane defined Marvel for a generation.
However, fans who are a bit younger hold up The Spectacular Spider-Man as the apex of web-slinger animation.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
The series debuted on the CW in 2008 before moving to Disney XD for its second season. Created by Sony Pictures Television, the series primarily leaned on the Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr. era of Spider-Man comics for its content.
While the series was popular with fans and critics alike, The Spectacular Spider-Man was canceled after two seasons due to a dispute between Disney and Sony Pictures Television.
The series’ iteration of Spider-Man returned in 2023, however, in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, with Josh Keaton reprising his role.
While The Spectacular Spider-Man has remained a fan favorite since going off the air, the series has had difficulty finding a home on streaming. The series was available on Netflix for a while before it was unexpectedly removed.
Then, in October 2022, The Spectacular Spider-Man arrived on Disney+, joining the 1990s Animated Series among other Spidey properties.
The Series Has Been Removed From Disney+
Shockingly, however, the series was removed from the streaming service yesterday with no warning. The change was reported by Disney Plus Insider, but no reason was given for the show’s removal.
While we may never know why The Spectacular Spider-Man was removed, it likely concerns the series’ licensing. As the show was created by Sony Pictures, it is not a Disney-owned series.
For now, fans hoping to watch the Spider-Man animated series must purchase individual episodes on Amazon Prime. Hopefully, we will see the show find a new streaming home soon.