Of the numerous first-party PlayStation exclusives, Insomniac's take on Spider-Man was another great success. The 2018 release aptly titled Marvel's Spider-Man was a big hit with fans and critics alike, garnering huge praise and ending the year with multiple award nominations. The game proved to be not only an excellent PlayStation exclusive but also another step in the right direction for comic book video game adaptations. This is something that Insomniac looks to follow up on with the recent confirmation of Marvel's Spider-Man 2's active development.
The first installment, although based on a hugely recognizable property, made the wise move in telling its own tale based on the web swinger. Insomniac decided to make Peter an already established superhero, while also offering exciting new takes on the lore from the comic books. But that's just the thing, this was all still material that in one way or another, originated from the pages of many classic Marvel tales. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 hasn't revealed too much yet outside of its first reveal trailer, but it's likely that Insomniac will once again be looking to the comic books for some inspiration, and these are the most interesting places to search.
Kraven's Last Hunt
An obvious storyline based on the aforementioned reveal trailer, but worth mentioning regardless. Marvel's Spider-Man 2's first teaser has a commanding voice narrating the actions onscreen. This voice claims that he has always wanted to find a worthy opponent, someone to put his skills to good use in combat. These words sound exactly like the personality of Kraven the Hunter, one of the wall crawler's most persistent foes from the comic books. Kraven sees Spider-Man as prey, like an animal to be hunted and the villain actually succeeded in the story arc called "Kraven's Last Hunt." It is the most popular story involving this antagonist and would be the likely point of interest for Insomniac to study.
Morlun
On the other hand, perhaps the narration was a misdirect to make players assume the voice belonged to Kraven when it was another speaker. Morlun debuted when J. Michael Straczynski took over writing duties for Spider-Man, introducing a menacing new villain for the hero to contend with. Morlun has incredible strength and tracking abilities, and just like Kraven the Hunter is a very focused and determined foe. Morlun relentlessly stalked Spider-Man over the course of several days, with each battle wearing the web-slinger down more and more. A gauntlet like this, if pulled off correctly, could make for an intense gameplay experience in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
The Symbiote Saga
It's no spoiler as it was the final shot of the trailer, but Venom will be in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Of the numerous villains in Spider-Man's rogues gallery, few other characters stand out as much as Venom does. The haunting escalation of Peter discovering a new black suit to eventually turning out to be a living organism, who is hell-bent on ruining his life, is a terrifying prospect. If the sequel is opting to take on a darker narrative than its predecessor, Venom is the perfect villain to pit Spider-Man against. Furthermore, Venom's weakness to fire and sound could open doors to fun new gadgets that players can use against the villain.
Spider-Men
It's worth noting that in Insomniac's Spider-Man universe, there isn't just one wall-crawler, but two. Miles Morales, introduced in the 2018 game, before spinning off into his own title last year in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, is as much of an exciting and relatable hero as Peter Parker. His solo outing did a good job in developing him as a character, but there is still so much more to see with Miles. The comic arc "Spider-Men" saw Miles interacting with a Peter from another universe, learning from each other to grow as people in the process. This would of course be tweaked for this version of the characters, but having Miles interact with Peter (especially after he has been away in Symkaria) would be crucial in developing their relationship.
The Goblin Lives
Doctor Octopus was featured in the first game, and Venom is confirmed for the sequel, but there are plenty of other iconic Spider-Man villains to use going forward. The cackling insanity of Green Goblin is a likely choice, especially since the character has already been teased in the 2018 Marvel's Spider-Man game. As for which comic storyline to look into, there are countless arcs and interpretations over the years to draw from. Green Goblin is responsible for many of the most horrific hardships in Peter's life, most notably the iconic death of Gwen Stacy. Regardless of plot specifics, the never-ending feud between Spider-Man and Green Goblin is one of the most memorable in comics, and would surely translate well to the next game.
Spider-Man: No More
Lastly, the storyline of Spider-Man giving up would make for a dramatic, shocking inclusion in Insomniac's follow-up to the 2018 original. The arc has been tackled before, perhaps most widely known to modern audiences in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. Peter Parker eventually reaches a breaking point, unable to continue balancing his personal life with that of his alter ego. He decides to throw away his costume and walk away from the crime-fighting life. Naturally, this wouldn't make for an interesting gameplay experience, as the players have not come to play as Peter Parker, but rather Spider-Man. So in that case, using it as a cliffhanger at the end of the game might be the most effective route.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is in development for PS5.
