Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game will likely have many different storylines, and it could run the risk of ending up like Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3. The next installment of Insomniac’s excellent Marvel’s Spider-Man series won’t be swinging onto PlayStation 5 consoles for another year, but fans are already excited about what has been revealed so far. Picking up where Spider-Man: Miles Morales left off, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will let players control both Peter Parker and Miles Morales as they patrol the open-world streets of New York City. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will also feature Venom after the legendary villain was teased in the two previous Marvel’s Spider-Man games, and his connections to Peter could lead to a darker and more tragic plot overall.
Venom and two playable Spider-heroes could be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 content, as there have been plenty of rumors, leaks, and fan theories surrounding which characters and storylines might be introduced in the latest game. Given his involvement in the creation of Venom, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 could set the stage for Norman Osborn to become the Green Goblin in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3. Kraven the Hunter has been confirmed as another Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s antagonist, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 story and gameplay leaks from last year have hinted that Mysterio and the Lizard could show up to cause trouble for the two wall-crawlers. Lastly, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is not only serving as connecting tissue for Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, but might also set up Insomniac’s other big upcoming superhero title - Marvel’s Wolverine.
With all these possible plotlines being introduced or coming to a head in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it feels like the next Spider-Man game could repeat a critical mistake from previous Spidey media. 2007’s Spider-Man 3 movie remains a divisive entry in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man film series for many reasons, the most noteworthy of which being that the movie simply has too many characters and subplots for its own good. Within roughly two-and-a-half hours, Spider-Man 3 tries to juggle Peter being infected by the Black Symbiote Suit, his relationship troubles with Mary-Jane, Mary Jane’s floundering acting career, Harry Osborn looking to avenge his father’s death as the New Goblin, Flint Marko becoming the Sandman, and Eddie Brock becoming Venom. Many of these plots were rushed and underdeveloped, and the resulting backlash against Spider-Man 3 eventually led to the Spider-Man film series being rebooted. In an ironic twist of fate, 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would similarly end its own series by struggling to balance too many disparate plotlines in a doomed effort to set up an expanded Spider-Man cinematic universe to compete with the MCU.
How Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Story Can Avoid The Movies' Biggest Mistake
If Insomniac adds too many different story arcs to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the finished game could risk being overstuffed like Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, there is an important distinction to be made between a blockbuster movie and a AAA video game: time. While Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had a couple of hours to weave their many plotlines into a singular and cohesive narrative, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will likely have upwards of 20 hours or more to expand its many storylines and side quests. On the other hand, if the main narrative of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 runs off in too many directions, it could leave players overwhelmed even if there is plenty of screen time devoted to each possible thread.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will have to strike a delicate balance between continuing the journeys of Peter and Miles, telling the tragic story of Venom, including a few villains and side quests, and possibly setting up Marvel’s Wolverine through a cameo appearance from the Canadian Mutant himself. Insomniac has proven its storytelling capabilities with Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, but the developer could run the risk of overloading Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s narrative with too many plot threads just like Spider-Man 3 before it.