Warning: Spoilers ahead for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.While Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 fans may be focusing on the bigger villain teases like Doc Ock and Green Goblin, the game’s side missions manage to set up a few other antagonists for the next entry in the franchise. Assuming that a Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 DLC does not happen that revolves around them, both Carnage and Chameleon are likely to be used in the next game. While it is easy to imagine a boss battle with Carnage, as well as new Symbiote enemy types created by Cletus Kassidy, it is harder to think about how Chamelon could be used. As such, Insomniac Games has to be careful that Chameleon is not a letdown like Hush from Batman: Arkham Knight.
Part of the issue with Chameleon is his ability set. A master of deception, Chameleon can disguise himself as anyone using masks and technology, making him a terrific criminal and a person that regular people have good reason to fear. However, against a superpowered figure like Peter Parker or Miles Morales, it is hard to imagine him putting up much of a fight. Perhaps Insomniac can make him more formidable by having him use his half-brother Kraven’s potions, but no matter what, it has to find a way to make his content hit harder than Arkham Knight’s Hush side mission.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Desperately Needs This Type of Batman: Arkham Content
While Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 offers tremendous gameplay, it could really benefit from a Batman: Arkham feature to highlight exactly how good it is.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Has To Use Its Disguise-Focused Villain Better Than Batman
Batman: Arkham Knight’s Use of Hush Left a Lot to Be Desired
For those unfamiliar with Hush, he is a master of disguises like Chameleon. Otherwise known as Thomas Elliot, he is an unhinged childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who became jealous of the billionaire and endured extensive facial surgery to become him, which he would then use to wreak havoc in Bruce Wayne’s life. Batman: Arkham Knight saw Hush briefly taking over Wayne Tower using this tactic, but his coup lasts only minutes, as Batman stops him with ease. Considering how Batman: Hush was one of the best comic book stories of the 2000s, treating a great villain like an afterthought was one of the more disappointing parts of the Arkham trilogy’s grand finale. Fans were hoping for a boss fight and a main story role, as Hush could have provided both.
Part of the reason why Hush was likely viewed as such a letdown is that players had to put work into seeing him in Batman: Arkham City . A special scene was unlocked with Hush after tracking down his victims throughout the city, and fans wrongfully assumed that he would have a big role in the sequel because of this teaser.
How Insomniac Games Can Make Chameleon Memorable in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3
Fortunately for Insomniac Games, there would not be the same level of backlash if Chameleon was relegated to a supporting role. He is far from the big threat that someone like Doc Ock is, so unlike Hush, he is not a character to build a lot of main story content around. At the same time, his side mission role needs to be a memorable one, which will be difficult to pull off without a boss fight at the end - something that is hard to imagine unless Chameleon is buffed to have superhuman abilities.
Perhaps another lesson could be learned from Batman: Arkham Knight, with the random Man-Bat appearances used as inspiration for Chameleon. Instead of jumpscares, Chameleon could randomly ambush one of the Spiders as a civilian, keeping players on their toes whenever they are near crowds. These civilian fights could be brief, with Chameleon escaping as soon as he realizes he cannot beat the Spider-Men, and Peter or Miles could eventually taking him down after several short fights. Alternatively, his side missions could skip fighting and instead aim to offer good storytelling above all else, with Chameleon disguising himself as Uncle Aaron to get to Miles or Mary Jane Watson to deceive Peter. He could even torment one of them with their dead family members. No matter what approach it takes, Insomniac has to avoid wasting Chameleon like the Arkham games wasted Hush, as anything would be better than another forgettable five-minute sequence.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
The sequel to 2018's Spider-Man and its Miles Morales spin-off, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a PS5 console exclusive. Insomniac's open-world game features Peter Parker and Miles Morales as dual protagonists, with the two heroes going up against the likes of Kraven, Venom, and Lizard.
