Highlights

  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 boldly kills off iconic characters, making Kraven seem even more threatening.
  • The deaths of Vulture, Electro, and Shocker are profound losses in the game, displayed as trophies.
  • Rhino's fate is undetermined, leaving open the possibility for him to return in Marvel's Spider-Man 3 and cement his importance in the story.

At the beginning of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac’s wall-crawler franchise had a whole bunch of supervillains established and hanging around, whether out and about in New York City or incarcerated at the Raft. Once Kraven arrives, that pool of antagonists hastily declines as each member of Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Sinister Six is killed besides Doctor Octopus, Mr. Negative—not for lack of trying—and potentially Rhino, though Alexei Sytsevich’s fate is less clear.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is unafraid to kill iconic characters and that’s one of its biggest storytelling strengths because it quickly makes Kraven seem threatening. Unfortunately, that lack of plot armor also applies to Kraven himself as his head is abruptly removed from his body to make way for Venom as the main antagonist. Regardless, Kraven’s catalog of roadkill is impressive for the short amount of time he’s there and it’ll be up to Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 now to confirm if Rhino managed to get away unscathed or not.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Rhino is Presumed Prey of Kraven the Hunter

The receipts for Kraven’s kills are almost all seen when playing as Mary Jane Watson, who crouches and sneaks around hunter bases when she isn’t sprinting an enemy down to knock them out with a taser hit. It’s here where players are informed that Vulture, Electro, and Shocker have all been murdered, which initially comes as a fairly big shock since their deaths aren’t seen and their equipment is displayed like trophies.

These villains may have already all run their course and might not have had much else to contribute to Marvel’s Spider-Man, but knowing they’ll never be seen again is a loss that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 truly makes profound in those moments. Meanwhile, Scorpion is the only villain whose death at the hands of Kraven is shown.

Now, because Kraven cleared some of Spider-Man’s most classic enemies with ease , it seemed obvious to assume Rhino was not exempt.

Cut Content and No Mention Suggests Rhino Met His End in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

However, no mention of Rhino being killed is ever made, either explicitly or implicitly, besides an out-of-bounds discovery made where Rhino’s head was mounted on a wall beside other heads of villains confirmed to be dead in-game. This seemed to suggest that Rhino has been killed or was intended to die in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but without legitimate confirmation Insomniac has an opportunity to decide if it wants to keep the enormous, armored ungulate alive for a third appearance in the series or shelve him indefinitely.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Can Web-Swing Either Way on Rhino’s Fate

Rhino’s undetermined fate is exciting because either outcome would be valid at this point. Rhino has actually played a considerable role in the franchise, appearing as a trivial Sinister Six affiliate in Marvel’s Spider-Man who shared a boss fight with Scorpion before appearing as a multifaceted, recycled boss in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

His role in Miles Morales is particularly intriguing after he receives an upgrade from Roxxon that fashions him in red armor, fleshing him out a lot more than some other Spider-Man villains who were stuck on the bench during this half-sequel. Therefore, Insomniac needs no excuse to go with Rhino having died in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 since he’s already been a recurring antagonist, and yet having him come back again in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 could cement his importance in the story.

At the risk of becoming banal, Rhino could return with another upgrade or be fleshed out again in some other way, but surely there are many more loose threads Insomniac will want to tackle in what could well be its final Marvel’s Spider-Man chapter. Still, a bit of clarity would go a long way, especially with Rhino having such a presence thus far.