Assuming Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a hit and the series continues with Marvel's Spider-Man 3, Insomniac Games should ignore the recent multiverse trend that's dominated the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the wake of Sony's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film. It's still not known if Insomniac's Marvel universe will see a third Marvel's Spider-Man game, but the developer may be tempted to delve into the concept if it does get green-lit. While the multiverse has led to some interesting story moments in the movies and TV shows, Insomniac has already built a strong foundation in its own universe and should continue to do so.
The sequel to 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man is slated for release sometime in 2023. First revealed with a September 2021 trailer, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 appears to heavily feature Peter Parker and Miles Morales teaming up in a battle against their newest foe: Venom. Not much else is known about the game, but it hasn't stopped the creation of countless theories, including one that Peter will take the symbiote as Spider-Man. An exact release date hasn't been announced, but more information may come out in the summer when studios and publishers traditionally tease future projects.
By the end of the 2021 series Loki, the floodgates were flung open for the multiverse in the MCU. Since then, actors from non-MCU movies have had the opportunity to reprise their roles as Marvel heroes, and interesting scenarios presented in the What If...? series have come to the silver screen. These surprises have been well received by new and longtime Marvel fans alike, but that doesn't mean it should be replicated elsewhere. Part of the appeal of Marvel's Spider-Man is the fact that it told its own great story outside of the comics or the MCU, and avoiding those influences would be in the best interest of the series.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Shouldn't Set Up A Multiverse
Marvel's Spider-Man, and the 2020 Miles Morales standalone game, built up plenty of excitement for the future of their respective protagonists. The former introduced players to Insomniac's take on Peter Parker and arguably the best Spider-Man in a Marvel game, while the latter told the story of Miles Morales filling in for Peter as a worthy alternative Spider-Man. In the next installment, the two will fight side-by-side against Venom and likely a few other unannounced villains, with Kraven the Hunter heavily hinted at in the reveal trailer. Their stories are self-contained and do not constantly think about the bigger picture that could come from multiverse-centric storytelling. All the games are concerned with is the life of a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and that small scope should be kept that way.
The timing of a possible third game would also be a good reason to avoid a multiverse. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is one of many Marvel games releasing after 2022, so it's possible that Marvel's Spider-Man 3 wouldn't come out until the latter half of the 2020s. Over the coming years, multiverse storytelling will continue to dominate popular culture as the MCU progresses into its next phases. By that point, if Insomniac revealed that Spider-Man 3 was also joining the multiverse craze, there might be some level of fatigue toward it. Excitement for the game could dwindle if the developer resorts to just doing what the movies do.
Spider-Man 3 is a long shot with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 still on the horizon. At this stage, no one knows if Insomniac is even thinking that far ahead, especially considering the fact that it's also developing a new Wolverine game in the same Marvel's universe. Its first game reinforced that Marvel properties can stand on their own just fine without having to consider the MCU, and media as a whole is in a better place when everyone isn't trying to copy that titan of a franchise.