Highlights

  • Mysterio's inclusion in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a missed opportunity for epic gameplay sequences in future sequels.
  • Unlike Mad Hatter in the Arkhamverse franchise, Mysterio is written off too soon and is unlikely to be reprised.
  • Mysterio's boss fight in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is one of the most spectacular, but he may never return in the franchise.

When Scorpion was revealed to have hallucinogenic poison in Marvel’s Spider-Man it was only a matter of time before Insomniac would inevitably use the same tricks for a Mysterio sequence in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Mysterio had already been established in the franchise’s world and since his special effects manipulations would be perfect for a similarly trippy gimmick, Insomniac made Mysterio a layup in the sequel and even revealed him prematurely with a blatant nod to his insignia in the open world’s UI before during a surprise gameplay debriefing at the September State of Play.

However, when players meet Quentin Beck in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 he is in an odd situation. Beck continues to parade around with the Mysterio name and costume—which seems like a horrible oversight if he had terrorized New York City beforehand or committed crimes—but is in rehabilitation and instead using his talents for entertainment purposes, particularly immersive augmented-reality escape rooms. Mysterio does become a side-quest villain to encounter with a bit of a twist, yet the character may never get to live up to the same potential as Mad Hatter in the Arkhamverse franchise.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Mysterio Could’ve Been a Fun Franchise Villain Like the Arkham Series’ Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter’s Throughline in Origins, City, and Knight Make Him Incredible

Mad Hatter’s debut in the Arkhamverse was part of Batman: Arkham City. Here, Hatter overwhelming Batman was intended as a plot twist to subvert expectations when Batman believes Alfred has deployed a sample of the cure from the Batwing—apparently due to hypnosis that Hatter puts him under after Batman rescues Vicki Vale—but Batman ends up passing out and waking up in Jervis Tetch’s clutches.

This Mad Hatter sequence is an incredibly basic combat encounter on a floating pocket watch stage where Hatter’s placed a rabbit mask on Batman and attempts to make him subservient, though Batman resists and quickly subdues him. Hatter then appeared in Batman: Arkham Origins and his Most Wanted side mission plays out almost identically to that of Scarecrow’s hallucinogenic platforming sequences from Asylum with a wide POV as players avoid the giant villain’s gaze in a beautiful portrayal of Hatter’s Wonderland.

Then, in Batman: Arkham Knight, Hatter arrived as one of four DLC villains added to the story. Players first locate GCPD cruisers for police officers being held hostage and, once found, Batman’s put into another trance and taken to a dreamscape where he, the final hostage, and mobs of enemies are all upon the pages of a pop-up fairy tale picture book recounting the events of Asylum, City, and Knight.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Mysterio is Great, But Written Off Too Soon

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Mysterio isn’t Beck but Beck’s associates, at least when players battle him as Miles. Beck turns out to be fully rehabilitated and wants to turn over a new leaf, while his Mysterium associates want to collect data on people. Mysterio’s boss fight is easily one of the most spectacular in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and cashes in on the popularity of the villain’s iteration in Spider-Man: Far From Home, complete with a giant Mysterio encapsulating Spider-Man in a New York City snow globe and all.

The unfortunate part of Mysterio’s inclusion, then, is the fact that he probably won’t be reprised again unless someone else decides to steal Beck’s technology and assume the role since Beck is a new man.

Unlike Mad Hatter, Mysterio seems like a one-off side villain that Insomniac and Marvel’s Spider-Man are sadly undercutting in his prime when the character could continuously contribute to epic gameplay sequences in future sequels. Mad Hatter will now be part of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as a weapon doll digital token at the least, while it’s unclear whether Mysterio will ever return in the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise.