Warning: Spoilers ahead for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.The response to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s version of Venom has certainly been interesting. On one hand, fans loved the character’s design and voice, while citing his playable segment as a major highlight of the game. Though one odd decision was made with Venom’s boss fight, it was well received overall, as fighting the monstrous Symbiote felt great. Still, Insomniac’s Venom has also been met with his share of criticism. Though some of it is unfair and purely stems from fans wishing Eddie Brock was the host, other complaints like a lack of screentime and a focus on world domination instead of hating Peter are valid. Fortunately, Insomniac will have a chance to address the first of these issues with its spin-off.
Listed as a 2025 release as part of the massive Insomniac Games leak from late 2023, gamers will not have to wait long to play as Venom again. Carnage will supposedly be the main villain of the game, which feels like a natural fit given his comic and movie history with Venom, while the Lethal Protector subtitle suggests that Eddie Brock may actually become the host for the alien. However, one other part of the leak suggested that “other Spider-Heroes” would feature in the game, meaning Venom could have to share a significant portion of his screentime with some webheads. In particular, it seems likely that Silk will be a big focus in the game.
Why Insomniac's Venom Game Being More Like Miles Morales is The Right Call
Insomniac's Venom game, Venom: Lethal Protector, implies it may share a lot of beneficial similarities with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Insomniac Will Likely Spend Time Setting Silk Up For Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Within Venom
Miles and Silk Are Likely to Be The Spiders That Feature in Venom’s Game
With Peter Parker semi-retired, it would make sense to keep him benched until Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 so that fans have time to miss him, as his comeback to fight Doc Ock and Green Goblin would feel far more impactful this way. With Miles Morales currently being the main Spider-Man in Insomniac’s universe, he seems like a shoo-in for one of the unnamed Spider-Heroes in the leaked info, and the only other logical option would be Silk. Just like Peter mentored Miles, Miles could teach Cindy Moon how to be a superhero.
Featuring an inexperienced, but still superpowered, Cindy Moon in the Venom game would be a bold move, though it isn’t impossible. Silk’s actual origin story could be told in another Marvel’s Spider-Man prequel novel before the third game releases, or via side missions in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 .
While Venom’s war with Carnage and journey to earning the Lethal Protector label could be the A story for the game, the B plot could be about Miles teaching Silk some important lessons. Perhaps Cindy already has powers but has yet to master them, and will attempt to stop Venom (or Carnage) on her own. Miles could then show up and realize that his potential Sister-in-Law has powers like him, and the two could bond. Alternatively, a powerless Cindy could have playable stealth segments like Miles did in the first game, with her getting her abilities near the end of the spin-off and Miles’ mentorship of her being something that is saved for later. Either way, in order to get Cindy into the action as quick as possible in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, setting her up in Venom's game seems like a must. As such, she could end up appearing be in several important scenes.
Insomniac Has to Be Careful Not To Overshadow Venom Again
Considering that many gamers preferred Kraven over Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, despite the latter being far more prominent within the title's marketing, Insomniac Games cannot end up in another situation where Venom feels like an afterthought. While Spider-Man and Silk showing up in the Venom game makes perfect sense, as the Marvel’s Spider-Man series thus far has been criticized for other heroes failing to intervene in city-altering events, their playable segments should be brief. Controlling Miles and Silk in one mission each, similar to Venom only having one playable mission in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, would be the ideal approach. While setting up Cindy Moon through cutscenes and dialogue is essential, she should not steal Venom’s moment in the spotlight by having too many gameplay segments.
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.
