When Venom appeared in the PlayStation Showcase 2021 teaser for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, right after the Marvel's Wolverine announcement, it kinda spoiled the sequel's surprise factor. Let's be real—we all saw Venom coming as the main villain after that symbiote tease in the first game. But honestly? Marvel's Spider-Man 2's story didn't quite hit the mark for me, and Venom's handling is at the core of my issues.
Since the game's release, fans have been obsessed with that brief playable Venom sequence at Oscorp—you know, the one where you wreak havoc and face Kraven in Times Square. The buzz about a standalone Venom game has been everywhere, especially after those Insomniac leaks. And now, whispers suggest this Venom half-sequel is still in the works. But here's the twist: I'm struggling to see how a Venom game makes sense after how things wrapped up in Spider-Man 2.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is still fresh, but with no DLC like 'The City That Never Sleeps,' a Venom game feels like the next big thing. Rumor has it (thanks, MP1st!) that Insomniac's Venom project is alive and kicking. If true, here's what we might expect:
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A half-sequel similar in scope to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
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Eddie Brock as the protagonist, squaring off against Cletus Kasady (aka Carnage).
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An Anti-Venom symbiote that's more comic-accurate than Peter's current version.
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A potential 2027 release, with Marvel's Wolverine possibly launching in 2026.
A 2027 window hints that Marvel's Spider-Man 3 might not arrive until 2030—oof, that's a wait! Ideally, this Venom game would slot between Wolverine and Spider-Man 3, maybe even setting up the sequel's events. But narratively? I'm skeptical. Venom's arc in Spider-Man 2 felt rushed, and Kraven got sidelined way too fast. Remember how Mr. Negative shifted from main villain to side character in the first game? Kraven's exit felt even more abrupt.
And Eddie Brock? He's basically a ghost in this universe—mentioned only in a Daily Bugle farewell card to Peter. How does he suddenly become a symbiote host without feeling forced? Plus, the whole Anti-Venom thing is messy. If Eddie gets his own symbiote, does that mean Peter's symbiote merges with his? And why is nobody freaked out that Peter still has symbiote powers? It's... weird.
Then there's Carnage. The Flame side quest in Spider-Man 2 slowly unveils Cletus Kasady as the cult leader, ending with him snagging a symbiote. But the story just... stops there. If a Venom game wraps up the Carnage arc without Peter or Yuri Watanabe (Wraith) involved, it'll feel cheap—like a boss fight for the sake of it.
All that said, swinging through New York as Venom, causing chaos? Sign me up! But Insomniac has a lot to prove. The narrative groundwork needs to be rock-solid to make this work. Fingers crossed they nail it.
