Of the many characters in Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, few antagonists have acquired as rampant a fan following as Venom. Since his introduction in comic books in the late 1980s, Venom has been included in many multimedia projects. Now, with Insomniac confirming Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is in development, fans will be treated to the talented studio's own take on the symbiotic anti-hero.
Insomniac proved its understanding of Spider-Man as a character with the 2018 blockbuster hit, which inspires confidence that it will also deliver on the esssence of Venom. There is no guarantee with anything, and Insomniac could risk taking too many creative liberties in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and lose sight of who Venom is in the process. By examining comic book history as well as the character's many past interpretations over the years, there are a few fundamental elements Insomniac should keep in mind.
Venom's Hatred of Spider-Man
Venom was born out of a seething hate toward Marvel's iconic web-slinger, bonding with Eddie Brock and seeking revenge on the hero. This is a story thread that Tom Hardy's 2018 Venom film ignored due to rights concerns, but it is a key element that Insomniac should work into its narrative. Literally labeling himself "Venom" because he is a poison in Peter Parker's life, Venom is a hulking villain that spends every waking second trying to make things worse for Spidey.
At this point, it is unclear whether Eddie Brock or Harry Osborn will wear the black symbiote suit and become Spider-Man's archenemy. Regardless, there are already opportunites for Insomniac to set up plot threads and escalate tensions between Peter Parker and Venom. If it is Eddie Brock, the game can follow the usual story arc for that character. If it is Harry, then Marvel's Spider-Man 2 can build on a possibly splintered friendship between him and Peter.
Venom's Size and Power
Venom was included as a villain in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, however this version of the character isn't as fondly remembered. A key reason for this was the visual appearance of Venom, specifically that he was too small. A part of the reason that Venom is such an imposing threat to Spider-Man is his massive size and muscular build. Venom shares many of the same abilities as Spider-Man, however it is his hulking size that usually gives him an edge in combat.
Insomniac needs to nail this aspect of the character, especially if the intention is to make him an intimidating threat. Similar to the Nemesis in Resident Evil 3, players' hearts should skip a beat whenever they have to face off against Venom. Especially if Venom ends up being a playable character in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, his strength and size should be significant enough to differentiate him from Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
Venom: Lethal Protector
A unique aspect of Venom that separates him from other villains is that he doesn't necessarily do anything evil unless provoked. Unlike characters such as Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus, Venom rarely seeks out trouble and likes to keep to himself. World domination doesn't interest him, nor does robbing banks for added wealth. In fact, Venom is more of an anti-hero, doing the wrong things for the right reasons, seeing himself as a lethal protector of the innocent.
This is something that Insomniac can explore if it doesn't wish for Venom to be purely used as an antagonist. There could be post-game content or added DLC solely focused on playing as Venom, in which players stalk the streets of New York at night, attacking those would prey on the fearful. As a reference point, Insomniac can look to the 2005 title Ultimate Spider-Man, which did a great job at delivering a fun Venom gameplay experience for many fans.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is in development for PS5.