Yes, according to Spider-Man lore, we can assume he’s probably dead. But I maintain that because none of the characters explicitly have said that (and in fact, they’re very deliberately vague about what might have happened to him), he could still be around in some capacity. And a big reveal at the end of the season finale only proves to me that the creative team is still keeping the Uncle Ben card close to their chests (possibly to keep Ben alive in our hearts).
[Ed. Note: This post contains some major spoilers for the end of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.]
In the last moments of the season finale, Aunt May goes to visit someone in prison. I waited with bated breath, absolutely sure that this was going to be the long-awaited Ben reveal that I was so sure of. However, she wasn’t visiting Ben, but another historically very dead Spider-Man character.
It’s Peter’s dad, Richard Parker! Turns out, in this version of the story, he’s alive!
Richard Parker’s exact backstory varies depending on the version of Spider-Man — most of the time in the comics, he’s a government spy, and he and his wife (also a spy) died in action sometime when Peter was a kid; in the movies, that backstory is usually simplified, and he and his wife just die in a plane crash. But the point is that he is usually dead and has been dead for most of Peter’s life. And like Uncle Ben, he’s a comics character that doesn’t get resurrected; he’s supposed to be dead and stay dead.
Now, we don’t know why Aunt May has decided to visit Richard in prison, and we don’t even know if Peter knows the full extent of what his father did. Technically, we don’t even know what landed Richard in jail, and if Peter knows he’s around! He might be a bad guy, or one of the superpowered antagonists Peter has been bemoaning all season. But the fact that he’s alive in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is already a sharp turn from the Spider-status-quo. The creative team has already played fast and loose with Spider-Man canon: Norman Osborn is Peter’s mentor! Nico Minoru is his best friend! The spider came from some weird timey-wimey space portal!
Richard Parker being alive takes that all to the next level — and that means that my theory about Uncle Ben is even more feasible! I’m telling you! I’m holding onto this as a big season 2 reveal and I want it in writing for proof when it does happen.
All episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are available on Disney Plus now.
