Venom’s introduction to Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man universe has a lot of weight behind it. For one, it corroborates fan speculations that Norman Osborn was using the alien symbiote to cure his sick son Harry in the first Marvel’s Spider-Man. This would mark a drastic change in the mythos by making Harry Osborn a host for Venom instead of Eddie Brock. Adding Venom also signifies that symbiotes will start playing a larger role in the overall story, which could include future appearances by characters like Scream, Toxin, and Carnage.
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One Big Symbiote Family
One cannot mention Venom without Carnage. An offspring of Venom, Carnage has become its father’s archenemy, as well as a foil to Spider-Man. Carnage is so powerful that it was able to force both Spider-Man and Venom to set aside their differences in order to defeat a stronger foe. Unlike Venom, who has some moral compass, Carnage loves nothing more than to kill for fun; making him a dangerous foe that cannot be reasoned with. There is a lot of lore and storytelling potential surrounding Carnage, so much so that it would be impossible to fit it all into a game that also introduces Venom and other unnamed villains.
It is for this reason that Carnage shouldn’t be in the spotlight with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s villains. Adding another villain to a game with multiple antagonists would decentralize the plot and give the villains less time to shine. Considering fans of these characters want them to be given their due, it would be in Insomniac Games’ interest to save such an important villain for another game or DLC.
Oversaturation of Megalomaniacs
It’s not as though an oversaturation of villains hasn’t happened before, as the first Marvel’s Spider-Man had a lot of them. Apart from Mr. Negative and Doctor Octopus - both of whose backstories were explored throughout the entirety of the game - the villains in Marvel’s Spider-Man were mostly shallow hindrances to Spider-Man. Foes like Kingpin, Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, Vulture, Shocker, Taskmaster, Screwball, and Tombstone were largely forgettable given their lack of screen time and how they were written. This is a shame considering the villains have just as much story behind them in the comics as the other, more fleshed-out foes in Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Instead of repeating what the first game did, Insomniac Games should focus on reducing the number of villains in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Doing so will give the developers more time to make each villain feel like a character with depth and motivations. Since each villain is a reflection of Spider-Man’s dark side (this holds especially true for Venom), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 should focus on the nuances of being a hero and how nobody is as pure of heart as they come across.
More Carnage in Spider-Man’s Future
While adding Carnage into a game that revolves around such themes isn’t a bad idea, Insomniac should build up the character throughout Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This could be done similarly to how Harry Osborn was built up in the first Marvel’s Spider-Man through in-game hints, dialogue, and a post-credits scene. Venom itself could be used as a storytelling medium. By showing Venom’s ferocity and capacity for evil, Insomniac Games can sow the seeds of dread before revealing that Carnage is even worse than its parent symbiote. Doing so will make Carnage look like more of a threat, and greatly hype up his transition into the spotlight for DLC or a sequel.
Carnage has a tremendous amount of potential as a Marvel’s Spider-Man villain, but it would be wasted if they were added in a game that already has a symbiote antagonist. It would be best to firmly establish Venom as a character before adding any of his kin into the mix. Doing so would prevent an oversaturation of symbiotes in the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe, and leave enough room for other villains to get their chance at defeating Spider-Man.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 on PS5.
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