Hudson Thames, who voices the titular web-slinger in the upcoming Disney+ show “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” recently shared some worries he had about leading Marvel‘s latest animated series.
While speaking with Collider, Thames said his “biggest fear” was that “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” would be “annoying and woke,” but ended up thinking the show was “awesome” after reading the script.
“I thought it was awesome. I mean, my biggest fear was that it was gonna be annoying and woke, and it wasn’t,” Thames said. “I was like, ‘Yes, this is great, it’s so well written,’ like it feels real. I’m the oldest of five boys, so I feel like I kind of know what’s happening in their lives and in high school, and it felt like it was doing that justice.”
“Woke” is a blanket term for those who are actively aware and considerate of social justice issues such as those regarding race, gender and sexual identity. The word has also become a derogatory label used by those who detest diverse and inclusive media.
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Disney in particular has come under fire by conservative circles in recent years for allegedly promoting “woke” messages in their films and TV shows, catching heat from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, President Trump and the company’s own ex-activist investor Nelson Peltz.
Other cast members in “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” which comes to Disney+ Jan. 29., include Colman Domingo, Kari Wahlgren, Hugh Dancy, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Jeff Trammell serves as head writer with Mel Zwyer as supervising director. Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt and Trammell serve as executive producers.