Having already become one of the standout studios of the current generation, Insomniac Games is seemingly determined to build on its reputation even more. Roughly 8 months ago at last year’s PlayStation Showcase event, the studio unveiled that it’s currently working on two blockbuster superhero titles. While there have been rumors that another multiplayer project is also in the works, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine are officially set to launch on PS5 in the near future.
Based on rumors swirling online, fans have reason to believe that the former in particular is progressing well from a development perspective. Considering how the first two entries in the series have become beloved classics already, it’s little surprise that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is shaping up to be an exciting sequel. If rumors turn out to be true though, Insomniac Games has already entered the crucial mocap stage of production, which should bode well for its estimated 2023 launch window.
Venom Mocap Rumors
Since Marvel’s Spider-Man launched on the PS4 in 2018, fans have eagerly been anticipating the arrival of Venom to the franchise. After all, at the end of both entries in the series so far, Insomniac Games has teased the symbiote's debut via two MCU-style post-credit scenes. During last year’s PlayStation Showcase event, alongside the announcement of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the studio finally confirmed that Venom would play a central role in the sequel. In an equally exciting turn of events it also revealed that Tony Todd of Candyman franchise fame would be bringing the character to life.
Considering how 8 months have now passed since Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s official unveiling, it’s remarkable just how tight-lipped Insomniac Games has been in regard to the sequel. While the studio has clearly been working hard to realize its vision behind the scenes, a number of unofficial leaks and rumors have popped up online instead. One in particular that’s gotten fans excited recently suggests that parts of the crucial mocap stage of development have just gotten underway for the game.
In a cryptic message posted on Twitter, Tony Todd tweeted the phrase ‘Early riser. #Mocap time.’ Based on Insomniac Games’ announcements, fans have theorized that the actor is talking specifically about Venom. It should be pointed out that, as with all rumors and alleged leaks, fans should take everything with a pinch of salt until there’s official confirmation. Based on Todd’s upcoming projects that are currently in production and pre-production though, there’s a decent chance that he’s alluding to the infamous Marvel character. The fact that the actor liked several Venom-themed fan responses to his tweet, likely speaks volumes too.
While there’s been no official confirmation of who will be playing the human-side of the Venom equation, Todd’s apparent mocap work bodes well for the monstrous half of the character. In 2018’s infamous Venom movie for example, Tom Hardy’s adaptation was brought to life notoriously with CGI. The fact that Insomniac Games has seemingly decided to use motion capture technology in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 instead, should at the very least result in the creation of a more believable Venom.
Insomniac Games’ Mocap Process
Over the last few console generations, the idea of performances being brought to life via mocap technology has risen in popularity. Thanks to franchises like Naughty Dog’s Uncharted, it’s now often assumed that there’s a physical actor behind most video game character depictions. As Insomniac Games has expanded its horizons beyond franchises like Ratchet and Clank, the studio has gradually adopted motion capture and its funny-looking suits too. The fact that the studio is already at the point where it’s apparently ready to start the process for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 though, bodes well for the project.
During a GDC panel back in 2021, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ creative director Brian Horton peeled back the curtain on Insomniac Games’ creative process. In an effort to streamline its development roadmaps slightly, he revealed that in the future the studio plans to only start working on mocap once a script has been finalized. Whether this comment was made in reference to projects after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 remains to be seen. Last year for example, the motion capture actor behind Miles Morales had to hastily delete a tweet of him in one of the studio’s mocap suits.
The fact that Tony Todd is likely working on the motion capture portion of his Venom performance right now, is still a positive indicator of just how far along Insomniac Games is in production. Typically, actors are only asked to suit-up when other parts of a game are in a playable state. Before the technology can capture their movements and performance, a workable and finished character model usually needs to have been coded and finalized.
Insomniac Games’ Future
Based on the Tony Todd mocap rumors and Insomniac Games’ own comments, things are looking good for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Fans should still be highly cautious due to the ever shifting nature of the gaming industry, but it stands to reason that news will be coming their way regarding the game over the next year. Even though there’s no official E3 2022 event, the summer months typically provide studios with ample opportunities to update fans on their progress. News regarding the game’s speculative 2023 release date could theoretically crop up then, even if it’s still slightly too soon to expect a full trailer.
Since the arrival of the PS5, Insomniac Games has become renowned for its ability to create high quality games in a relatively short period of time. To date, the studio has already released two full titles, and has two more penciled in to hit store shelves over the next few years. There are signs that this trend isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, and that the motion capture rumors surrounding Spider-Man 2 are actually indicative of a larger trend.
Alongside the rumors surrounding Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, there’s also been several cryptic leaks which suggest work on Marvel’s Wolverine is progressing at a similar pace. Towards the tail end of April specifically, a tweet by the studio's Lead Animator Mike Yosh made some fans speculate that the more mature superhero adaptation was about to start mocap filming too. With the context of Tony Todd’s tweet, it now looks as though Yosh was preparing to lend a hand on the studio’s sequel instead. In either eventuality, the future looks bright for fans of Insomniac Games and Marvel.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 on PS5.