Spider-Man: TAS Showrunner on Giving Viewers Closure with New Annual

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Spider-Man: TAS Showrunner on Giving Viewers Closure with New Annual

Original Spider-Man: The Animated Series Showrunner John Semper Jr. discusses being able to address the Season 5/series finale cliffhanger.

Article Summary

• Spider-Man: TAS showrunner John Semper Jr. will finally resolve the series finale cliffhanger in Spider-Man ’94 Annual.
• Set after Spider-Man: The Animated Series, the annual reveals how Peter Parker and Mary Jane reunite at last.
• Semper says the Spider-Man story is his long-promised gift to fans, giving closure after the 1998 ending.
• He also makes clear the earlier Spider-Man ’94 comic was not his vision, while leaving the door open for more stories.

If you’re a fan of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, then you’re more than aware of the heartbreak that was the Season 5/series finale. In “Chapter II: Farewell, Spider-Man” (directed by Bob Richardson and written by Showrunner John Semper Jr., and airing on January 31, 1998), Madame Web promises Spider-Man that she will help him find his way back to Mary Jane, so the two take a deep dive into the Multiverse to make that happen. So what did happen after that? Despite X-Men ’97 S01E10: “Tolerance Is Extinction (Part 3)” seemingly confirming that Spider-Man and Mary Jane had finally reunited, Marvel Comics announced last summer that writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Jim Towe were the creative team behind a new five-issue series based on the popular ’90s animated series, Spider-Man ’94. But DeMatteis and Towe’s vision of the animated series’ future wasn’t the same as Semper’s, with the showrunner having previously shared some ideas he had if he got the chance to continue it.

Later this year, Semper will get that chance when his and artist Alessio Cammardella‘s Spider-Man ’94 Annual drops. Set between the series finale of Spider-Man: The Animated Series and DeMatteis and Towe’s Spider-Man ’94, the annual will show fans how Semper planned for Peter and Mary Jane to reunite. Speaking with CBR, Semper confirmed that his story builds on the ideas and draft script he’s had in play for nearly 10 years. “About 10 years ago when I did that, I really was waking up every morning really wanting to tell that story,” he shared.

For Semper, the main goal of the annual is to thank the fans for their support over the years, and to give them the resolution that they had been hoping for. “As far as the Peter and Mary Jane story is concerned, it’s very much wanting to give closure to all the fans who have wanted that for a very long time. It’s funny, when I ended the series, for me, I was very much into sort of the Joseph Campbell monomyth, and the series for me was the story of Peter and his personal growth. And really, the whole getting together with Mary Jane was kind of an afterthought. I didn’t think it was that important,” the showrunner noted.

He continued, “And I left that tiny little door open, as I said, in case Fox came to me and said, ‘We want to do 13 more half-hours.’ I thought, ‘Oh, good. I’ll pick up with Peter finding Mary Jane.’ I didn’t realize what kind of trauma it was going to cause for millions of children across the world that I didn’t give them closure. So this is my gift to them. This is me giving them that closure.” But don’t mistake giving closure to the season/series finale’s cliffhanger as Semper saying goodbye to the animated show’s universe. “That being said, I would love nothing more than to be able to continue to work with these characters,” he added.

Shortly after the news of DeMatteis and Towe’s comic book series, Semper took to social media to make it clear to fans of the animated series that he had never been asked to be part of the project and had never been given a heads-up about it. Regarding the storylines that will play out in the comic series, Semper also made it clear that they don’t represent his vision for the series (more on that in a minute).

Shortly after, DeMatteis took to social media to confirm that Semper was not involved and added that “John’s the reason the book even exists.” From there, the writer noted Semper’s contributions to the Spider-Man mythos, adding, “His vision of Spider-Man (which included planting the seeds of what would evolve into the Spiderverse) got an entire generation of kids hooked on the wall-crawler.” In terms of the comic book series, DeMatteis ended his post by noting, “I’d love to see the TV series revived with John at the helm. Maybe this mini will help in some small way.” Here’s a look at DeMatteis’s post:

Spider-Man: TAS Head Writer Not Involved with Marvel Comics Sequel

“NO, I am NOT involved with this comic book and no one approached me to be involved in any way,” Semper wrote in a social media post, noting that a text from a friend was the first he was hearing of it. While he has kind words about DeMatteis and wishes them well, Semper makes it clear that “they are NOT my creative choices, nor do they represent any oversight by me.” Semper adds that he would’ve at least appreciated a heads-up, but “I have long ago abandoned all expectation that Marvel would acknowledge any of my contributions to the Marvel universe,” citing what’s now become known as the Spider-verse as an example. Even with all of that, Semper encouraged fans to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Spider-Man: The Animated Series (and support his new animated series, Weather Hunters).

Here’s a look back at Semper’s post from last summer, laying out where things stood at that point:

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