Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has only been out a month, but it’s already sold over 5 million copies – with 2.5 million of them coming in the first 24 hours. If you’ve been playing since launch day, you’ve likely finished the story and, like me, are eagerly anticipating what Insomniac’s next move is with its Spider-Man series. Spider-Man 2 sets up so many storylines and characters for future installments, so let’s theorize where the games may go next.
Is Peter retired?
“Go be Peter Parker for a while,” Miles tells Pete at the end of Spider-Man 2 in a scene that shows Peter Parker putting himself first for once and not, well, everyone else in New York. Miles grows a ton in the second game, and his journey culminates in this passing-of-the-webshooter scene. Insomniac stated MIles is their main Spider-Man now in a spoiler-filled interview with Gizmodo, with narrative director Ben Arfmann saying, “[I]t felt like such a natural conclusion; I’m not sure when specifically we decided to do that, but it always felt like the only way the game could end,” in reference to Miles ascending to be Spider-Man numero uno.
But I wouldn’t expect Peter Parker to disappear completely or take too much of a back seat. He still has too much of a story to tell. How is he going to rebuild the Emily-May Foundation? What challenges will he and Mary-Jane navigate together as they’re both, for all intents and purposes, unemployed and in major debt (homes in Queens ain’t cheap!)? And, more importantly, will he really let himself not be Spider-Man for any conceivable amount of time? I think not – neglecting his Spider-Man responsibilities is simply not who Peter is. I could certainly see him pulling the mask back on to become a mentor to Insomniac’s next Spider-hero.
Silk got next?
Insomniac surprised fans by teasing not Jessica Drew as Spider-Woman or Gwen Stacy as Ghost Spider for the next game, but Cindy Moon instead. The ending reveals Rio Morales’ new boyfriend as Cindy’s father as him and his daughter join Rio, Miles, and Hailey for dinner. Like Miles, Cindy Moon is a rather recent addition to the Spider-Verse, being less than a decade old. If you’re not currently familiar with her, you will be soon as she’ll star in a Spider-Verse spinoff, her own streaming series, and, of course, Insomniac’s next Spider-Man project.
Just like how the Miles Morales game grew from planned DLC, we could hope for a Silk-centric spinoff to fill the gap between Spider-Man 2 and its sequel. Personally, I’d rather get a Venom spinoff and have Cindy Moon become a playable character with equal billing to Miles and Pete in the next Spider-Man game. Miles and Cindy could alternate being the main Spider-person for the first half until an insurmountable threat – like, say, the Green Goblin? – requires them to go to the OG for help.
Regardless of whether she gets the spotlight in DLC, her own spinoff, or becomes a main character in Spider-Man 3, I’m looking forward to playing as another Spider-hero.
What rogues are left?
The ending of Spider-Man 2 is clearly setting up Norman Osborn to be the Green Goblin for Spider-Man 3. Reeling from his son being in a coma and placing the blame firmly on the Spider-Men (haven’t heard that one before!), Norman mentions wanting a “G-Serum” prepared. I could easily see him testing it on himself, going crazy, and firmly becoming the Green Goblin. I do wonder if Insomniac would go for an armor and glider approach, like in the Raimi films, or the more monstrous original Ultimate Green Goblin.
While the Green Goblin will certainly be the main antagonist of the next game, Spider-Man has so many great rogues Insomniac haven’t utilized yet. Whom could we see in Spider-Man 3?
- Doctor Octopus: After his appearance at the end of Spider-Man 2, I wouldn’t be surprised if Peter’s old mentor/enemy Dr. Octavius returns in some capacity. That boss fight at the end of the first game was just too epic to not bring it back for an encore.
- Chameleon: As an odd personal favorite of mine from the 90’s animated show, I think Insomniac will do wonders with the face-changing villain. A consistent theme through Insomniac’s Spider-Man tales has been identity and the balance between one’s many faces, so Chameleon would thematically fit in very well. He’ll surely be at least a side story antagonist in Spider-Man 3 after the way the Unidentified Targets mission chain concluded.
- Carnage: Carnage will undoubtedly be showing up sometime in Insomniac’s Spider-Man future. Cletus Kasady acquires a symbiote at the end of The Flame storyline, easily setting up Carnage to be a villain in potential Spider-Man 2 DLC – or even saved for a possible Venom spinoff. However, if he remains in the stable for an eventual Spider-Man 3, Carnage would make for a nice tertiary antagonist and a reminder that Peter’s time with the symbiote may never truly be behind him.
- Kingpin: I wouldn’t be surprised if Kingpin rose up to be the third-act antagonist in a similar manner to how Doc Ock and Venom crashed the parties in the first two games. We haven’t seen much of him since the opening sequence of the first Spider-Man game, and it would be a shame not to use him as a proper antagonist. Plus, his inclusion could potentially help set up the inclusion of a certain devil-horned hero.
What other heroes might we see?
Being set in New York, Spider-Man 2, like the first game before it, is filled with easter eggs hinting at other heroes operating in NYC. One particular secret room, coupled with the removal of the Nelson & Murdock plaque, seems to hint at something Daredevil related in the future. DLC… or a spin-off game? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the latter – Daredevil’s gameplay would seamlessly build off Spider-Man’s, and I would love to see Insomniac’s take on the character and his rogues.
Obviously Doctor Strange is the other big name hero hinted at during the campaign, with the Black Cat stealing from him, leading to Miles getting a thank you note from Wong. Avengers Tower still stands mighty over New York, Fisk Tower is in the process of being renovated into the Baxter Building, and the “Rand scholarship” was mentioned. Clearly Insomniac’s New York is full of heroes – or at least heroes to be – who could show up as side characters in DLC, heroes in a sequel, or carry their own game.
A Venom spinoff game, you say?
I certainly hope so! Insomniac hasn’t announced any direct plans to make a Venom-centric game, but they have left the door open for fans to race right through. After Spider-Man 2, creating a game with a heroic Venom doesn’t seem too far fetched, either as a full release or DLC expansion. A piece of the symbiote could have broken away from the hive mind during the climactic battle, avoided particle accelerator induced death, and decided to do good with its newfound freedom (while still having an appetite for brains). It could latch onto Eddie Brock, Flash Thompson, or another host, and then we’re off to the races!
Insomniac could explore Venom as a hero in a world that just saw him plaster a layer of Klyntar over New York. Eddie Brock could even decide to ditch New York and start superhero-ing in San Francisco. Villain-wise, Carnage seems like an easy choice while Knull prepare to make a visit to Earth and become the game’s bid bad.
Regardless of if we get a Venom game or more Marvel heroes show up, I can’t wait to see where Insomniac takes its Spider-Man franchise next.
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