The web-slinging hero Spider-Man has seen dozens of video game appearances over the years, with his most recent being in Marvel's Midnight Suns. As one of Marvel's most popular heroes, Spider-Man has become a well-known figure across a range of pop culture media and has had numerous interpretations of the character as a result. But the version of Peter Parker players will get to know in Midnight Suns is most similar to Insomniac's incarnation from its 2018 game, Marvel's Spider-Man.
Although there are some obvious similarities between the two, many players will find the differences in these versions of Spider-Man given the character's quite diverse background. Tonally, both Midnight Suns and Marvel's Spider-Man are typical superhero adventures with moments of levity between dramatic action sequences. However, the way in which the two Peter Parkers react in these moments demonstrates the differences in their characters and the range with which Spider-Man as a character affords writers. Since Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Fall 2023 release window is on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how Insomniac develops the character further and if it draws any inspiration from the Spider-Man of Midnight Suns.
Marvel's Midnight Suns Leans into Peter Parker's Dorky Side
Actor Yuri Lowenthal's voice has become an expectation when playing a game that features Spider-Man, as the actor voices the character across a multitude of games, including both of these recent titles. While this gives players of both games a sense of familiarity, there is some dissonance when it comes to what players expect Lowenthal's Spider-Man to act like. It is particularly jarring to go from playing Marvel's Spider-Man where Peter is older and more mature to Midnight Suns where he still has a naive immaturity to his character.
The Peter Parker of Midnight Suns is a younger incarnation of the character, remarking that he is currently a college student attending Empire State University when not out fighting crime on the streets of New York or helping the Midnight Suns stop Lilith's reign of terror. Despite having less experience as Spider-Man than other versions of the hero, he has still fought several iconic villains from his rogues' gallery. Aside from Venom—who appears as an enemy in Midnight Suns—Peter also references his conflicts with a few of Spider-Man's other most notable nemeses such as Kraven the Hunter and Green Goblin.
When not out battling Lilith's army of Hydra minions, Peter can be found around the Abbey where the player can converse or hang out with him during downtime. These interactions help reveal more about Peter's character, such as his initial caution against revealing his identity for fear of putting his friends and family in danger. His hesitation to show his true identity to his allies when first arriving at the Abbey shows his inexperience as a hero as the other Midnight Suns and Avengers advise him that it's not worth trying to keep his identity a secret from them.
Peter's awkward, dorky side comes through when the player chooses to spend time doing a Hangout activity with him. His favorite activities—the ones that grant the most friendship points—are those of a typical college student and include playing video games, watching movies, and working out. He seems to be far more concerned with cracking jokes for his fellow teammates and maintaining team harmony than he is about interpersonal conflicts. His innovative nature still comes through during his time spent working at the Shop with Robbie and Tony, producing useful gadgets from blueprints the player brings to Shop Class.
Insomniac Gives Peter Parker a More Mature Side
Despite still having the voice of Yuri Lowenthal, the Spider-Man from Insomniac's series seems to be more seasoned when it comes to crime-fighting and has a more well-rounded social life outside his duties as a hero. It's clear he has faced his fair share of classic villains, including Electro, Scorpion, Rhino, Vulture, Kingpin, Shocker, and Doctor Octopus. Although he has yet to face some of the same enemies that the Spider-Man of Midnight Suns has, the tease of Venom in Spider-Man 2 and the high likelihood of an appearance by Green Goblin in the same game may change that.
The Peter of Marvel's Spider-Man has aged more than his Midnight Suns counterpart having graduated from Empire State University with a degree in biophysics and going on to work with Dr. Otto Octavius as an assistant in his research into advanced prosthetic limb technology. While he shares the same scientific ingenuity as his counterpart, the Peter of this game has had more of an opportunity to build a career around it. This inventiveness still finds a way into gameplay, however, as Peter is able to craft new gadgets to use in combat as Spider-Man.
Peter also demonstrates maturity in his interpersonal relationships over the course of Insomniac's game, more so than that of the version of the character Firaxis has created. He helps his Aunt May with her work at the homeless shelter F.E.A.S.T., providing additional service to his community beyond fighting crime as Spider-Man. He also has to navigate the complex relationship he has with his ex-girlfriend Mary Jane Watson while also serving as a mentor to fellow web-slinger Miles Morales. The story arcs surrounding these characters give depth to Peter's personal life and establishes a persona beyond the hero players expect Spider-Man to be.
With the upcoming Spider-Man 2 slated to release next year, there will be a chance for even more development of Insomniac's Peter Parker which will likely set him further apart from the character that appears in Midnight Suns. While the core of the character is present in both iterations, it's clear the character-specific focus of Marvel's Spider-Man allows for a much more nuanced take on the story and character of Spider-Man. Being relegated to a member of a broad roster of characters makes it harder for him to stand out from the crowd in Midnight Suns, but the addition of relationship-building mechanics present in the game helps to bolster the depth of his character somewhat.
Marvel's Midnight Suns is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions coming later.