The developers of hit PlayStation 5 exclusive Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 have said Miles Morales is the “main” Spider-Man from now on, which has caused some fans to speculate about what Insomniac may do with the inevitable Spider-Man 3.
Spider-Man 2 spoilers follow.
Gizmodo asked Insomniac narrative director Ben Arfmann and advanced writer Brittney Morris about the ending of Spider-Man 2, which is a clear passing of the torch from Peter Parker to Miles. Here’s how the conversation goes:
"Pete. I got this. All of it. Go be Peter Parker for a while.”
“Are you sure? It’s a big city.”
“I can handle it. As long as I can still call you for advice.”
“You don’t need it."
In the interview, Gizmodo asks Arfmann and Morris: “You said earlier you basically knew right away that you wanted playable Venom. Does that also apply to ending this game with Miles as the ‘main’ Spider-Man from now on?”
Morris replies: “It always felt very natural, and I think we all collectively thought it would happen. To me, it shows a great deal of evolution from Miles; at the beginning of the game, we see him struggling to figure out what he wants to do with his life. By the end, we had Miles carrying the burden of saving the city, and also carrying Pete when Pete wasn’t strong enough to carry himself at various points.
“That’s what’s been so cool about writing a story about two Spider-Men: they’re both strong, and one of them can be strong when the other is not. By the end, Miles is more confident and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I got this. How much worse can things get after what we just went through?’ “
Spider-Man fans are now speculating about what Miles being the main Spider-Man means for future titles (IGN has a comprehensive feature looking into how Spider-Man 2 sets up the sequel). There’s a lot of talk about another Miles Morales spin-off (Spider-Man: Miles Morales came out in 2020). Insomniac has already spoken about the potential of a Venom spin-off. We know the developer’s Wolverine game is set in the same universe as its Spider-Man games. And of course there will be a Spider-Man 3.
As IGN’s Jesse Schedeen writes: “We assume this ending is setting the stage for a direct sequel to Spider-Man: Miles Morales, with Peter’s retirement providing the justification for why Miles is the only hero in the spotlight. As for the inevitable Spider-Man 3, surely some new disaster will compel Peter to come out of retirement and suit up once again. This game provides plenty of clues as to what that disaster might involve.”
The most shocking theory is that Insomniac plans to kill off Peter Parker in Spider-Man 3, which would be a significant step further than simply having Parker retire from being Spider-Man. Perhaps Pete will bite the dust trying to save New York from the Green Goblin, who is teased at the end of Spider-Man 2.
They’re gonna k*ll off Peter in the next game aren’t they… https://t.co/JICo4JNFeR pic.twitter.com/0DtfUsb9Yy
— PridefulSin? (@ReignOfPride) November 5, 2023
I would absolutely kill off Peter Parker for Insomniac’s Spider-Man 3 & Let Miles Take The Mantle of the one & only Spider-Man! pic.twitter.com/JAWhsXF9Kx
— TheTruth"Intro King"31 (@Truth31The) October 26, 2023
Their gonna kill off peter parker in spiderman 3, are they? https://t.co/2Rgg0GmWr7
— RayRayDX (@ray_ray200108) November 6, 2023
Telling you now, they are going to kill off Peter Parker in the game to solidify that they prefer Miles over Peter as Spider-Man…
— The Mad Ainz of Shimano (@6ShubNiggurath6) November 5, 2023
They boutta kill Peter Parker on the first mission too smh https://t.co/G6pd07zna1
— LaGhost (@_Javonne) November 6, 2023
It’s all speculation for now, and it will be quite the while before we know for sure what Insomniac has in store for fans.
Spider-Man 2 is PlayStation’s fastest-selling game ever over a 24-hour period, with an impressive 2.5 million copies sold in just a day. IGN has reported on one player who discovered the fate of an absent villain by going out of bounds, covered the comic-book that references the lack of superheroes in the game, and we’ve even investigated whether Spider-Man 2 should take fall damage, according to science and lore.
If you're playing, check out our list of Spider-Man 2's best skills to get first as well as all of the Spider-Man 2 suits in the game.
We wrote in our Spider-Man 2 review: "As a sequel in a spectacular series, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is both blessed and cursed... Insomniac refines a successful formula of combat and web-swinging without revolutionising either in major ways, making them comfy and familiar with just enough new tweaks and abilities to elevate them to fun new heights. The part that feels like it actually needed a radical rethinking is the open world of New York City, which has been made bigger but not better, with an exhausting checklist of mostly repetitious side activities."
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
