Summary
Over the last six years and throughout three games, Insomniac has managed to create one of the most beloved versions of the Marvel universe to date. Officially designated as Earth-1048, Insomniac’sMarvel’s Spider-Manuniverse is bursting at the seams with creativity and life from its titular Spider-People protagonists to its bustling open-world playground of New York City. But this is still onlythe start of Insomniac’s Marvel universe.
Though many of them haven’t been officially confirmed, according to last year’s hack Insomniac Games has a slew of Marvel projects currently in the works, including DLC forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, a potential third entry in the series, the confirmedMarvel’s Wolverine, and maybe even a full-scale X-Men game. Regardless of if these projects come to fruition or not, it’s clear that Insomniac has plans to keep building out its Marvel universe for years to come, and the more diverse its projects are the more it can start experimenting with concepts and themes that might not suitSpider-Man.
Insomnac’s X-Men Could Do Something Spider-Man 3 Probably Can’t
Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Could Use a Major Hero Death
Killing off a main character isn’t necessarily the best way to raise the stakes, and that’s especially true for the world of superheroes, where major hero deaths have always been an infamously cheap way to shift copies and bring interest back to a waning property. That being said,Insomniac’sSpider-Manseriescould actually benefit quite a bit from having another big character death.
Coming right at the end of 2018’sMarvel’s Spider-Man, Aunt May’s deathhit like a ton of bricks, delivering one of the most emotional moments in all of Spider-Man history, with May revealing that she’s always known her nephew is Spider-Man. Many fans were expecting a similar moment forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, but while the game had plenty of deeply emotional moments, none really matched the height of May’s death in the first game, and this felt like a bit of a missed opportunity for a game revolving around Kraven the Hunter and Venom, two of the most often emotionally-impactful Spidey villains.
IfMarvel’s Spider-Man 3doesn’t have some kind of major character death, then it could run the risk of making Insomniac’s Marvel universe feel a little too safe. What would make the most sense is ifPeter Parker died inMarvel’s Spider-Man 3, especially if Miles and Cindy Moon are going to be swinging around the city as well. This would have enough of an emotional resonance while also making sense given the supposed direction of the franchise.
Insomniac’s X-Men Could Offer a More High-Stakes Story
But while Insomniac might want to keep itsSpider-Manseries a bit lighter, it could channel all of that suppressed darkness into its potentialupcoming X-Men game. Violence, discrimination, and genocide have all been baked into the DNA of the X-Men since their debut back in 1963, and though they wear bright spandex and go on some bizarre adventures, a sense of grounded tragedy often lies right around the corner for the team. From the deaths of beloved characters like Jean Grey, Wolverine, and Gambit, to full massacres that wipe out entire Mutant populations, X-Men has had more than its fair share of darker moments, and Insomniac should use that as an opportunity to give its Marvel universe even higher stakes.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
