Insomniac Games has a lot of momentum going into the development of Spider-Man 2. It found enormous success with Spider-Man on PS4, and after Sony’s acquisition of Insomniac Games earlier this year, it can now focus entirely on the sequel without having to worry too much about paying the bills. Additionally, with the backing of Marvel and the incredible amount of source material to work with, Insomniac Games ostensibly has a blank check with a Spider-Man logo on it.
Spider-Man on PS4 is a story about Peter, Miles, and Mary Jane. Though there are many villains in the game, including the Sinister Six, the main antagonist is Doctor Octavius. With him out of the way as the main villain, this leaves an opening for a new head villain. Hammerhead had his time in the spotlight in the DLC collection, The City That Never Sleeps. Going by the other part of the end of the game, the sequel is all but guaranteed to feature appearances by the Green Goblin and Venom. With all this in mind, here are some characters that could potentially be featured in Spider-Man 2, based on what was included in the first game.
Miles Morales
Seeing as how he is heavily featured in the initial game, Miles is likely to play a much bigger role in Spider-Man 2. Miles’ spider bite scene is a main part of the story, and months after the events at the end of the game, Miles shows Peter his new-found powers in a charming but brief post-credits scene. In addition to these scenes, there is in-game dialogue in the DLC collection where Miles is actively trying to persuade Peter into finally training him into the Spider-Man he is destined to be.
During this dialogue, Peter is clearly toying with Miles or at least training his capacity for patience, teasing not only Miles but the fans in anticipation of Miles’ breakout moment. It is also safe to assume that Miles’ Spider-Man is going to be significantly more playable next time around. Hints in the first game in addition to comics lore and 2018’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse all ostensibly point to Miles gaining the ability to go invisible and electrifying his moveset.
Of course, Insomniac Games is not one to shy away from putting its own spin on gadgetry. The creators of Ratchet and Clank, Sunset Overdrive, and all the complicated weapons and contraptions that those games are comprised of, know how to make a game with fun combat (and traversal). Also, Miles’ cloaking ability could potentially give his gameplay a much more Batman-style of play.
In regards to story, one can potentially expect a send-off style narrative where Peter passes the web-slinging torch over to Miles. This could comfortably happen at either the beginning of the game, allowing Miles to be played head-on right after a dramatic introduction, or toward the latter part of the game, maybe in a scene where Peter is finally confident in having a partner or even a replacement. Of course, this is mere speculation. It could be possible that the villains in this next game are so threatening that the need for two Spider-Men becomes clear to both of them, and they team up. After all, if the first Spider-Man game is anything to go by, then two of the biggest villains in Spider-Man history are about to come together.
Green Goblin and Venom
At the end of the base game, an exhausted Norman Osborn retreats to his secret lab. This is the same lab where Mary Jane went sneaking around in much earlier in the game where she inadvertently picked up and transported the same super spider that gave Miles his powers. Besides that important piece of information, the lab was extremely significant in foreshadowing to the events of the sequel.
Norman unlocks a secret liquid-filled cell containing none other than the unconscious body of his son, Harry, suspended in a green vat of gel and strings of what is obviously symbiotes. Though he provided a neat string of side-missions in absentia, Harry's terminal illness prevented any other presence in Peter’s story. In addition to the fact that Mary Jane had found schematics of Norman’s Green Goblin equipment, this leads to one unsettling but plausible theory. Norman Osborn will become the Green Goblin and Harry will be resurrected as Venom. When they eventually take over the city, they might have to deal with the Spider-Men. However, other hints point to other theories.
The Avengers?
Swinging through the concrete jungle in fictional New York City, Spider-Man can see two significant buildings in regards to Marvel lore - Avengers Tower and the Seventh Sanctum. Spider-Man and The Avengers have always been significantly featured in each other’s stories through most mediums. It was only recently that studio deals allowed Spider-Man back in the Marvel cinematic universe (then got him kicked back out of the MCU and let back in again just this year).
As such, it's possible that this carries over into the next game, and these characters come into the fold. It would likely be for the briefest of moments, but it would be enough for fans to see Spider-Man and The Avengers team up to any degree. Alas, this is likely a pipe dream, but stranger things have happened.
Spider-Man 2 is rumored to be in development.