Highlights

  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 debuts a symbiote invasion with Venom replacing Kraven as the main villain in an arguably rushed third act.
  • It is unknown if Peter can freely discard or give away his newfound Anti-Venom symbiote. Regardless, concerning questions are raised as a result.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 starts with a fairly straightforward couple of acts before it gets into some truly unprecedented narrative beats with the symbiote invasion motif. Kraven is abruptly abandoned in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2—indefinitely, too, which is unfortunate seeing as how he could’ve been an interesting recurring villain down the line—and Venom supplants him with a sudden urge to overwhelm the planet with symbiote tendrils, and the game careens into an arguably rushed third act where everything comes to a head. Here, Insomniac makes maybe its most egregious and bewildering choice yet.

Peter Parker involuntarily took on the symbiote while on his deathbed and it was able to save his life, removing a rather large blade embedded in him. It’s also a wonder how Peter is forever relieved of his mortal wound when he absconds from the symbiote. At the same time, Harry Osborn immediately goes back to being afflicted when he no longer wears it, but that’s another question entirely. Nonetheless, Peter eventually receives the Anti-Venom symbiote which apparently has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of the default symbiote, and yet Peter will seemingly keep it to himself instead of giving it to his sick best friend.

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Peter Not Giving Harry the Anti-Venom Symbiote in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an Absurd Choice

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Ends with Peter Receiving the Deus Ex That Would Save Harry

There’s an argument to be made that the Anti-Venom suit is bonded to Peter alone with that possibly affecting whether it can be removed now or not, which by itself would be disconcerting considering where the story may be headed from there.

That said, without even an attempt at transferring it off of him, it seems lackadaisical on Peter’s part to simply accept that it’s part of him now. Plus, Harry surviving but being in a coma at the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 leaves the door open for multiple paths Insomniac could take with him.

Harry could end up being a symbiotic host again in Insomniac’s alleged Venom spin-off, for example, or he could have a role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, either as an antagonist again or an ailing son desperately trying to reach out to his newly villainous father. Not killing Harry was arguably the safe choice and Kraven’s death was probably a big enough blow that Insomniac didn’t want to lose out on another character.

It seems odd that Peter is literally in possession of a seemingly no-consequences substance now that behaves precisely as Harry and Norman Osborn believed the original symbiote would, and yet Peter’s thought following the symbiotes’ defeat wasn’t to immediately give it to Harry. Harry needs it far more than Peter does now, assuming Peter can freely give it to Harry since it shouldn’t have a parasitic or manipulative hold over him.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Now Has an OP Peter Until He Gives the Symbiote to Harry

Peter now has a symbiote as part of his everyday arsenal and that’s relatively wild considering he previously only relied on his gadgets. Insomniac probably wants to keep him up to par with Miles, whose bioelectricity and optic camouflage might otherwise make him the far more entertaining Spider-Man to play as.

But a symbiote-laden Spider-Man with no disadvantages to him being able to produce tendrils and wreak havoc in New York City’s open world is a huge change that Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 must abide by. If Peter was going to give it to Harry, that should’ve been done at the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in order to save him. However, Insomniac probably felt it would be best to keep Harry in a horrible condition to further provoke Norman’s descent into anger and grief.

It’ll be interesting to see what Peter’s life is like with the symbiote now and how that’s implemented into the narrative, such as if he does choose to arbitrarily keep it or what will end up happening to it, but giving it to Harry to save him not being Peter’s immediate thought potentially will always be concerning. These questions will hopefully be answered if Insomniac’s Venom spin-off does indeed ever release.