Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will feature a roster of dangerous supervillains taking on the wall-crawling superhero, but the sequel could subvert players' expectations by repeating a trick from the iconic '90s animated series. Insomniac's next title is around the corner and fans are already speculating which of Peter Parker's foes might make an appearance. Although a handful of characters have already been confirmed to be joining the villains in Insomniac's Marvel game universe - specifically Venom and a heavily hinted at Kraven the Hunter - there has been speculation that one of the next ones could be Norman Osborn's Green Goblin. However, Insomniac could keep players on their toes by following in the footsteps of the '90s cartoon by making Hobgoblin Spidey's first goblin-themed adversary.
The Green Goblin and Spider-Man have had an epic rivalry throughout the years. Whether it be brawling in various comic book storylines or wreaking havoc around New York in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, Norman Osborn is one of the web-slinger's greatest foes. Though many are expecting the arachnid hero to clash with the pumpkin bomb-throwing menace at some point or another, nothing is set in stone, and Insomniac has already illustrated that it's willing to depart from the comics in striking ways with the first Marvel's Spider-Man.
Insomniac Games may already be taking inspiration from animated shows as Marvel's Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales appear to be setting up Harry Osborn as Venom in the upcoming sequel, which was a plot thread introduced in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. Though much of the game may be spent battling the deadly symbiote and Kraven the Hunter, it's not too far-fetched to speculate that the Hobgoblin could make an appearance, providing more of a challenge for both Peter and Miles. Marvel's Spider-Man featured a bunch of supervillains, one of which was not revealed until the game was released. So, perhaps Insomniac will have the Hobgoblin flying into action in the upcoming web-swinging epic, rather than the Green Goblin many players are expecting.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Why Hobgoblin Would Be A Big Surprise
The first and most prominent incarnation of the Hobgoblin made his in-costume debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, as a criminal mastermind equipped with Halloween-themed weapons similar to those used by the Green Goblin. With Harry already showing up as Venom in the next Spider-Man game, and Norman Osborn showing no signs of becoming his evil-alter ego as of late, perhaps Marvel's Spider-Man 2 learns from the '90s cartoon and introduces Hobgoblin before his Green counterpart. After all, a criminal mastermind like the Hobgoblin could be the perfect candidate as the next antagonist for Insomniacs' more experienced Spider-Man.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could follow a storyline similar to that of the Spider-Man animated series from the '90s, where Norman Osborn hires the Hobgoblin to attack numerous characters including The Kingpin. With his son taken over by the Venom Symbiote, it could be that Norman Osborn resorts to getting involved with the criminal underworld in a more up-front capacity, employing an original rendition of the Hobgoblin to capture Harry or even take on the likes of Kraven to get him back. With Spider-Man already tackling both Venom and Kraven, the Hobgoblin could also get involved, putting Peter and Miles in the predicament of battling three villains who are also fighting amongst themselves.
While Hobgoblin isn't one of the Spider-Man villains who've never appeared in games, his appearances in the medium are sparse and his appearance in a Marvel's Spider-Man sequel could galvanize the character. Many details are still unknown, so characters that are currently under everyone's radar could sneak their way into Marvel's Spider-Man 2 once the game releases. For now, fans will have to sit tight and await this highly anticipated game and all the secret details withheld by its developers.