When a new Spider-Man game was announced, it made all the sense in the world that it would be developed by Insomniac, the creators of Ratchet and Clank, Spyro, and Sunset Overdrive. The California-based studio was the perfect choice, with a proficiency in making games that feel good to play and that usually deploy somewhat comedic but dramatic stories to push each new game forward. The 2018 game was an instant hit and quickly became one of the most beloved games on its native PS4. A Miles Morales side story has only reinforced the series' status as a killer exclusive for Sony, and the mainline sequel looks set to continue the tale this holiday season.
Most Marvel films end with a post-credits teaser of what's to come in the cinematic universe, and Insomniac's first Spider-Man project was no different, giving fans the chance to see Miles Morales exhibit his Spidey abilities, as well as a follow-up that alluded to Harry Osborne's fate. Their inclusion was a small but significant indicator that there are more narrative strings that the developer can pull to keep fans salivating for more. The upcoming sequel to the Peter Parker-led experience could be gearing up to be more ambitious with its post-credits scene, as more Marvel cogs are turning in the gaming space than ever before.
With Marvel, Nothing is Disconnected for Too Long
The MCU began with Iron Man in 2008 and has, over the course of 15 years, become a confusing maze of spin-offs, sequels, and side stories, with fans being asked to pay attention to every fine detail to see the bigger picture. It's a universe in every fictional sense, and much of its success is owed to that philosophy. In gaming, it could be mimicked to great effect, with plenty of Marvel titles of quality hitting shelves in recent years. Insomniac is leading the charge, with an obvious commitment to Spider-Man as well as a Wolverine project in the pipeline.
It would be too much to ask any single developer to head up an entire universe of characters and storylines, but with games from other companies like Guardians of the Galaxy from Eidos Montreal, Midnight Suns from Firaxis, and Marvel's Avengers from Crystal Dynamics, it's not out of the realm of possibility for the Spider-Man 2 post-credits scene to merely acknowledge their existence, giving fans of the comic company a shred of hope that the MCU format could be replicated, or even just taken inspiration from, in gaming.
Spider-Man Was the Start of Something Bigger for Insomniac
In some ways, Spider-Man 2 feels like the warm-up act for something equally anticipated. Insomniac formally announced at a PlayStation Showcase in September 2021 that it is working on a Wolverine-centric game, which is something that feels so very natural. The character has a storied history, and his abilities make sense for the medium. Interestingly, the developer has confirmed that it will be set in the same universe as its Spider-Man titles, which tees it up well for some kind of cross-over, or some subtle hints that Logan is roaming around somewhere while Pete and Miles battle Venom and Kraven the Hunter.
The best way to leave such a breadcrumb would be to use the tried-and-tested method of a cryptic post-credits scene, giving some insight that there are other iconic Marvel characters that can be alluded to at the end of Spider-Man 2. Having it not link to a potential third game could subvert expectations, and open the door to more chatter about Wolverine as its release inches closer.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 on PS5.