Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is out and by now, many would have finished the main story. It’s not a super-long campaign but still immensely enjoyable with stellar production values and side content to indulge in. While it’s not a “true” sequel, acting as more of an interlude between its predecessor and the inevitable Spider-Man 2, Miles’ heroic journey concludes in a number of interesting ways.
Before we get into the ending, please note that there will be spoilers for pretty much everything. If you’re still playing the story and want to experience it for yourself – which you most definitely should – then turn back now.
As noted before release, the story sees energy corporation Roxxon investing in the new Roxxon Plaza for Harlem where Miles and his loved ones live. Powered by Nuform, the company eventually comes into conflict with the Underground, a high-tech outfit looking to expose the energy’s danger. Leading the group is The Tinkerer, who turns out to be Phin Mason, one of Miles’ best friends. Phin is ultimately looking to sabotage and destroy Roxxon Plaza but the company’s R&D director Simon Krieger anticipates her plan, rigging it to destroy Harlem if that happens. Along the way, Miles encounters his uncle Aaron Davis, who previously worked at Roxxon and is now The Prowler. Though Davis’s goal was to protect Miles, he eventually concedes to his desire to help others and even helps Harlem’s citizens to evacuate before things go south.
As Roxxon and the Underground battle, Miles battles The Tinkerer/Phin. Though he eventually wins, the plaza’s reactor has gone critical, leading to Miles absorbing the energy. Phin then flies with Miles above the city so he can release the energy but stays with him till the end and dies in the process. Miles survives, with a few of Harlem’s residents keeping his identity secret; Krieger is arrested after Davis turns himself in; and Peter Parker, who traveled to Symkaria, returns and the duo resume their crime-fighting duties.
Mid-way through the credits, however, we switch to the POV of Harry Osborn in a containment tank. Norman Osborn walks in and speaks to Dr. Curt Connors about releasing Harry, though Connors warns about the potential dangers of…well, you know what. The Symbiote doesn’t react as much as it did in the post-credits scene for Spider-Man. But the conclusion is clear – Venom will be entering the fray soon.
But there could be more to the sequel’s story than that. It’s first important to understand that in one Marvel Comics universe, Earth-12041, Harry Osborn bonded with the Symbiote, first becoming the Black Suit Spider-Man and then turning into Venom. This universe is the designation used for the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series and comic books (which have separate stories). The animated series is interesting due to the number of parallels you could draw with Insomniac’s first Spider-Man, like Doctor Octopus taking revenge against Norman Osborn (though the reasons are different and in the series, the Doc was responsible for turning Osborn into the Green Goblin).
In this universe, Harry opposed Spider-Man as Venom and despite being freed, it would re-emerge several times throughout the series (at one point, he even became Anti-Venom). Interestingly, when Venom re-emerged a second time, it was while Harry was asleep. Over the course of the series, he would harbor an intense hatred for Peter, driven primarily by his father being more interested in Spider-Man than him.
So from the outset, Harry becoming Venom and being playable in Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 is very much possible. In fact, he could have his own separate campaign or missions, acting as a deuteragonist to Peter Parker. However, unlike the animated series, Norman Osborn seems more driven by love for Harry and saving his life as opposed to simply harnessing the power of the Symbiote. Of course, given how things play out, there’s also a possibility that Norman could become the main villain, either through his own experiments or from extenuating circumstances.
It could be akin to the 2002 Spider-Man film where, to obtain an important contract, Norman experiments on himself and becomes the Green Goblin. How the dynamic works here will be key – because Norman expressed nothing but disappointment in Harry, even when he became Venom in the animated series. Meanwhile, the Symbiote seems more than happy to kill Osborn, either as a direct result of Harry’s anger or because, well, it’s the Symbiote.
How Miles factors into all of this is the real question. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 presents the opportunity to introduce some kind of co-op element, perhaps even a separate mode like Ghost of Tsushima: Legends that has its own story-line. There’s no denying the appeal of swinging through the city with multiple Spider-Men or even jumping into a friend’s session for some crime-fighting in the campaign. But the focus of Sony’s flagship console titles is to offer a compelling single-player experience first. Having Miles as a co-op character would still be possible but then having Venom as a playable character would mar the pacing.
Another possibility is that Peter Parker as Spider-Man and Venom tussle throughout the campaign, leading to some kind of showdown with Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin. The story could end with Harry going his own way and possibly starring in the DLC, perhaps in a set of stories akin to The City That Never Sleeps. Perhaps he’ll transition into more of an anti-hero role, as Venom has usually been recognized for throughout the years.
A quick note on other characters – Aaron Davis returning as the Prowler seems unlikely since he went to prison at the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. A reduced sentence, sure, but unless Spider-Man 2 is set a year or two after, it would be a stretch to see him again. Yuri Watanabe could definitely make an appearance as Wraith, especially after her actions in The City That Never Sleeps. But it’s unlikely she has more than a dedicated arc or a few appearances due to the number of other pressing storylines that could unfold in the sequel.
One thing’s for sure – Simon Krieger making a comeback is almost impossible. While he goes to jail, likely for a long time due to Roxxon’s actions, his character was eventually killed off in the comics. So even if he survives in the video game’s universe and is perhaps referenced in the sequel, having a direct impact on the plot is highly unlikely.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will likely release by 2022 with Insomniac currently focusing its resources on Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (which launches in the first half of 2021). There’s no doubt that development has already begun but how will Manhattan change? Will we explore more of New York City? Time will tell but there’s certainly a lot to potentially look forward to.
