Insomniac Might've Secretly Confirmed Spider-Man 3
While Insomniac Games is hoping to inject some "venom" into the Spiderverse with the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man 2, some players are already looking ahead at what could come next. The idea of a Venom spin-off in the vein of last year's Miles Morales has already been pitched, but like any good gaming franchise, what about a trilogy? Well, it worked for Rocksteady's Arkham.
With Spider-Man 2 not due out until 2023 (as long as it isn't delayed), it's far too early to start speculating about Spider-Man 3 - or is it? Just like 2018's first game put the pieces in place for Spider-Man 2, we're fully expecting the next chapter to do the same.
It's clear Venom is the big bad of this outing, while Kraven the Hunter has also been teased. Spidey has an impressive rogues gallery, and we're guessing Green Goblin could finally step up to the plate in a mythical third outing. Norman Osborn HAS to be this franchise's Emperor Palpatine. Speaking of Star Wars, it's thanks to this we think Spider-Man 3 could already be in the works.
Why do we think Spider-Man 3 is on the way?
Promising a "darker" tone for Spider-Man 2, Marvel Entertainment’s Creative Vice President Bill Roseman told the This Week In Marvel podcast the game is like Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: “I can say the story very much continues and picks up from Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. I don’t want to reveal too much, but it’s the next big chapter.
"There are a lot of threads, a lot of characters that were in the first two games that you’ll see [again] here. So, yeah, it’s Miles, it’s Peter, it’s Venom, it’s a mysterious voice. It’s everything you love but more. And I would say if the first Spider-Man game was Star Wars, Spider-Man 2 is kind of our Empire [Strikes Back]. It gets a little darker."
That's all well and good, but us tinfoil theorists like to delve a bit deeper. It's no secret that 1980's Empire was held as a superior sequel to 1977's A New Hope. Delivering some of cinema's most iconic scenes, it also gave us that legendary, "No, I am your father", line. Connecting the dots, let's remember Empire was the middle of a trilogy, that rounded off with Return of the Jedi in 1983. It's a big leap, but Roseman could be secretly giving Spider-Man 3 a wave.
Has Insomniac confirmed Spider-Man 3?
Rumours of Spider-Man 2 swirled long before the game's official announcement. Job listings all-but-confirmed it, however, it was only at 2021's PS5 event that Insomniac gave us the nod. Games hire long before they lift the curtain, so we'll be keeping a close eye on Insomniac's recruitment drive. The problem is, there's also the exciting prospect of the studio's Wolverine game to remember, so Spider-Man 3 is undoubtedly e a very long way off.
There are some truly great game trilogies out there. Alongside the aforementioned Arkham games, there's Mass Effect, The Witcher, Dark Souls, and BioShock. Just like BioShock is coming back for a fourth game, we're not suggesting Insomniac has to bow out with just three games.
The introduction of Wolverine suggests those whispers of a Marvel Gaming Universe are back, meaning Spider-Man is just the start. Either way, Insomniac's Spider-Man 3 could redeem the sour taste left behind by Sam Raimi's 2007 movie of the same name.