AceShowbiz - "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" star Hudson Thames addressed the controversy stemming from controversial comments he made before the animated superhero show.

The series, which is set in an alternate reality, features Peter Parker getting significant help from Norman Osborn until Osborn's evil intentions are revealed. Diversity plays a key role in this version, with Norman Osborn depicted as a Black American and other non-white characters included, which unfortunately prompted some racist commentary online.

In an interview back in January, Thames seemed to echo these controversial views when he said, "My biggest fear was that it was gonna be annoying and woke." This comment led to backlash, with some interpreting it as dismissive of the show's inclusive efforts.

On Tuesday, however, the actor who provides the voice for Peter Parker clarified his remarks in a conversation on "Get Rec'd", explaining that his words were taken out of context to stir drama.

"So, obviously, something that I said was cherry-picked and used essentially with no context just to kind of stir up some drama," Thames explained.

He revealed that his comment was a reaction to online discussions where some viewers were apprehensive about the show's approach to diversity and equality.

"I was noticing a lot of comments online that I was getting, that was either people being nervous or expressing concern that the show was using topics of diversity and equality in an inauthentic or disingenuous way," he said. "It made me defensive, like I wanted to kind of defend our show a little bit."

Despite his intent, Thames admitted, "It was such a poor choice of words. My point was that our show doesn't have to do that, it doesn't have to pull any tricks. [Showrunner] Jeff [Trammell] did such a brilliant job, in my opinion, of writing what he knew."

"Equality and diversity was just already baked into the story he wrote, and nothing felt forced, I suppose, so I was really just trying to compliment the grace in which that all plays out in the show, and ironically, it's what attracted me to the show so much in the first place."

Jeff Trammell, the showrunner, stood by Thames during a fan Q&A on Reddit, stating that Thames "simply misspoke, and I know that's been weighing on him." Marvel Studios did not officially comment on the matter.

For fans eager to see the series, "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" is streaming now on Disney+. A second season is already in the works and will premiere next year, with a third season also confirmed.