With the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Carnage, among others, all being teased during the events of and by the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man fans all around the world are eagerly awaiting any information about the potential next installment in Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man saga. Thus, this begs the question, what does the first-party Sony studio have planned for the threequel?
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, now available for PlayStation 5, has proven to be a fantastic follow-up, allowing players to take control of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales while battling threats such as Kraven the Hunter and the sinister Venom, formed from the Symbiote. With familiar adversaries like Mysterio, Sandman, and the Lizard also making appearances, the sequel was a ride filled with twists and turns.
In a recent interview with Skill Up, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Creative Director Bryan Intihar offered tantalizing hints about what might lie ahead for the threequel. Drawing parallels between the games and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’d compared the original to Iron Man and the latest sequel to Captain America: Civil War. This leads to speculation about the direction and magnitude of the next game’s narrative. What might be the gaming counterpart to Infinity War and Endgame? While not much was confirmed, Intihar’s assurance that “it’d be pretty epic” has only intensified fans’ anticipation.
In the wake of the recent release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, many factors signal that a third installment in this franchise isn’t just hoped for but also highly probable. As previously mentioned, the post-credits scenes drop substantial hints at potential story arcs, echoing a tactic used in the inaugural Spider-Man game, which teased the impending arrival of the Symbiote.
Several narratives await exploration, the chief of which is Green Goblin’s arrival. Given Norman Osborn’s current mental state and his involvement with the G-Serum and Otto Octavius, a duo compromised of two of the smartest foes Spider-Man has ever faced, determined to take down the pair of New York’s finest web-crawlers, makes for a potent narrative. The story might also delve deeper into the Symbiote saga, possibly showing remnants of the Symbiote bonding with a new take on Eddie Brock, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown between Venom and Cletus Kasady’s Carnage. Moreover, the presence of Knull, the powerful Symbiote God, in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 adds another layer of complexity. Another direction could involve Cindy Moon, potentially transforming into the hero, Silk.
The financial success of the franchise is difficult to ignore. Marvel’s Spider-Man achieved a staggering amount of sales of over 20 million copies, placing it among the most successful PlayStation exclusives. The sequel isn’t far behind as it’s the fastest-selling PS5 game already and is on track to sell even better come November. The immense popularity of the three games so far are likely to ensure robust sales for the third game, nudging Sony to continue the saga. However, several aspects make it challenging to predict when Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 might see the light of day. For starters, the duration between the announcement and release of the first two games was about five years, hinting that the next installment might land on the PS6 rather than the PS5. Furthermore, Insomniac Games is already invested in other Marvel projects, notably Marvel’s Wolverine, and possibly another unannounced game.
Given the time frame between the earlier games and the upcoming Wolverine’s speculated release between 2024 and 2025, the Spider-Man series might see another interstitial title, much like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, before a grand reveal of the third mainline entry, possibly around 2026.
Another exciting possibility stemming from Insomniac’s ventures is an Avengers-style team-up. The potential as well as the popularity of crossover content, as witnessed in the Spider-Verse films, coupled with Insomniac’s expansion of Marvel characters, could pave the way for a gaming universe featuring diverse characters.
With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 setting the stage for the next chapter in the story and leaving fans with cliffhangers, fans are hanging by a thread. As Insomniac has demonstrated its capability to elevate narratives, one can only imagine the roller-coaster of emotions, adventures, and epic tales awaiting fans in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3.
