Highlights

  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sets up potential sequels as well as the introduction of Green Goblin as a main villain.
  • The ending hints that Peter will take a backseat as Spider-Man, leaving room for Miles and Cindy to take center stage in Marvel's Spider-Man 3.
  • Peter's emotional ties to the villains, such as Doctor Octopus and the Osborns, will likely keep him involved in the story despite stepping back as Spider-Man.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 went ahead and basically carved out a roadmap for a potential half-sequel or full-sequel to follow, including yet another tease of Green Goblin with Norman distraught and his son in a comatose or sedated state. Indeed, Marvel’s Spider-Man teased Green Goblin fairly explicitly back in 2018 and that still has not been fulfilled yet in the series, making him a shoo-in for Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 now as one of a few villains that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 leaves a trail of blatant breadcrumbs for.

Interestingly, the ending of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 implies that Peter will be taking a backseat as Spider-Man, likely to concentrate efforts on the Emily-May Foundation startup he currently runs out of his garage as well as his future with Mary Jane. This would make a Miles and Cindy duo logical for Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 with Peter allowed to back out of the picture, but with all the loose threads Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has left dangling it seems impossible to write him out yet, at least not wholly.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man 3’s Villains Almost All Lead Back to Peter

Green Goblin, Carnage Wouldn’t Be as Satisfying without Peter’s Spider-Man

Right now, it seems plain that Green Goblin and Carnage could be two of the main antagonists in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3. Green Goblin has been teased since the original and therefore is an inevitability for the next mainline installment, while Carnage was teased in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s The Flame side quest.

Likewise, Doctor Octopus might be reprised as an antagonist if the sequel’s post-credits scene is anything to learn from, tentatively dubbing the next mainline entry as “the final chapter.” It’s possible that Insomniac has more half-sequels in the works to put out before that final chapter, but regardless Peter will need to have a place in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 since he’s really the only Spider-Man with any emotional ties to these antagonists:

  • Peter idolized and cherished his employer Dr. Otto Octavius before he became Doctor Octopus.
  • Peter has known Harry and Norman Osborn since at least high school and is like a part of their family, reinforcing their closeness when Harry became Venom. If either Harry or Norman becomes Green Goblin, that would greatly affect Peter again.
  • Peter has encountered Cletus Kasady alongside Yuri Watanabe with her pursuit of him likely being followed up on when Cletus eventually decides to bond with the symbiote.

Miles’ Story Can’t Be Undercut for Peter’s Sake in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3

That said, with Peter hanging up his tights for now, it’s possible Yuri could contact Miles to have him assist her with Cletus instead. Carnage hasn’t been made mutually exclusive to Peter like Doctor Octopus or Green Goblin have, and there will hopefully be many more villains in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 that can create a fun dynamic with Miles rather than Peter. So far, only Mr. Negative, Rhino, and Tinkerer have really been personal villains for Miles, unless Uncle Aaron’s Prowler is also considered as part of that mix.

As of right now, Miles’ story is completely open-ended in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 besides being a mentor for Silk and, if Peter is putting on the mask again like he’s expected to, Miles may need some arch-nemeses in order to maintain his prominence as Spider-Man. If there’s a time gap between Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, perhaps the third game opens with Miles battling a new foe whom he’s now encountered multiple times, showing how established he is as New York’s only Spider-Man by having his own iteration of Shocker to slap around.