Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man
The Drake Bell era: S.H.I.E.L.D. high school, Nick Fury as principal, 104 episodes on Disney+. Lighter than Spectacular, better than its reputation in the long arcs.
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man (2012) is a animation and action series from Disney XD. Episodes run about 23 minutes. It premiered on April 1, 2012. Viewers rate it 7.2 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 4 seasons.
What Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man Is About
Spider-Man has learned what it means to be the ultimate hero. He’s fought alongside the Avengers and led a team of heroes at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. But now that Spider-Man’s greatest enemies, Doc Ock, Hydra, and the Sinister Six, are working together to destroy him and S.H.I.E.L.D., Spider-Man requires a special new team: a team of Spider put together by Spider-Man himself including Agent Venom, Iron Spider, Kid Arachnid, and Scarlet Spider! Spider-Man will need all his power, and his knowledge, and all his friends to stop the Sinister Six and Hydra.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 23 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, spread across 4 seasons and it leans into its animation/action roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Drake Bell to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Drake Bell lead the cast.
Key roles include Drake Bell as Peter Parker / Spider-Man.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of animation, action and adventure have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Disney XD’s other originals, a 7.2/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2012 and carried by Disney XD with the series still ended, it lands hardest with animation and action viewers.
How Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man Compares
If Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man lands for you, the next stops are Avatar: The Last Airbender, Death Note and X-Men: The Animated Series, which share its animation/action lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man comes from Disney XD. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Drake Bell doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its animation/action roots, It has held up since 2012 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man is a safe bet for anyone already inside the animation and action lane, the audience score holds around 7.2/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 7.2/10. Watch it if you want animation/action you can settle into.
