In late 2021, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was officially revealed by Sony and developer Insomniac Games. The trailer itself revealed that both Venom and Kraven the Hunter would appear in the game as the apparent antagonists. However, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may also be laying the groundwork for another major villain.

Throughout Marvel's Spider-Man games, Norman Osborn has made numerous appearances in a rather unexpected role. It's unclear how big of a part he will have in the second game, but the next installment appears to be in a prime position to set him up for something big. Arguments have already been made for Green Goblin to appear in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 but it seems more likely that the upcoming game is laying the groundwork for Norman's transformation in the next entry.

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Norman Osborn's Role In the Marvel’s Spider-Man Universe Thus Far

In the Marvel's Spider-Man games, Norman Osborn is something of a background antagonist. In the first game, he is the Mayor of New York City as well as the owner of Oscorp. Following the bombing of a re-election rally, he hired Silver Sable and Sable International to take over protecting the city. This results in New York City turning into something of a police state, and the new mercenary force frequently clashed Spider-Man and his allies throughout the game's story.

One of the first game's more original takes on the Spider-Man villains is that most of them were just out to hurt Norman Osborn. Mister Negative's various terrorist attacks and use of the Devil's Breath are all part of a revenge scheme against the mayor. Later on, Doctor Otto Octavius takes over the role of the main antagonist, who likewise had a long-standing antagonistic relationship with Norman Osborn. The after-credits ending of Marvel's Spider-Man, however, had a bit of a twist to them and could very well set up the character's eventual role as Green Goblin.

How Marvel's Spider-Man 2 May Set Up the Green Goblin’s Arrival

The after-credits ending of the first game and Spider-Man: Miles Morales pointed at an unconventional host for the upcoming installment's antagonist. At the moment, it appears that Harry Osborn will be Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. While this hasn't been confirmed by Insomniac Games, the trailers do highly suggest it, and this may be what causes Norman Osborn to snap.

Up until this point, the main antagonists of the Marvel's Spider-Man games have been very sympathetic. While the methods are very questionable, the primary motivation behind all of their actions is to take down extremely a-moral companies run by very bad people. While Norman Osborn himself is not presented as a good person in the games, it's clear that he does care for his son.

If Harry Osborn is Venom, it's possible that he will not survive the length of the game. Whether he meets his end due to some heroic self-sacrifice, the disease he is said to be suffering from, or in a battle with Miles, Peter, or Kraven the Hunter, there is no guarantee he'll live to see the end credits. Either way, it is likely that Norman Osborn would blame Spider-Man for Harry's death or whatever damage is done to him in the game. This could, in theory, lead him to snap and assume the persona of the supervillain. This would allow Marvel's Spider-Man to take its time with Green Goblin while also allowing him to have an otherwise understandable motivation.

In the end, there is no way to say for certain what the next Spider-Man game holds. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has a few obvious paths for Venom, but advertising could be a sleight of hand trick on Insomniac Games' part. It's likely that fans won't know for sure until the game is released. If everything is what it appears to be, then Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could very well be using Harry Osborn's Venom to set up the Green Goblin for an eventual Marvel's Spider-Man 3.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches on October 20, exclusively for PlayStation 5.

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