When Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swung onto PlayStation 5, it brought sweeping changes to both Peter Parker and Miles Morales’ lives. Venom and Kraven tore through New York like a hot knife through butter, but for many webheads, the biggest villain wasn’t a symbiote—it was Peter’s wardrobe. The game introduced eight MCU-inspired suits for Peter, and that emphasis on movie skins rubbed a lot of players the wrong way. Fast forward to 2026, and the conversation hasn’t died down. With Marvel’s Wolverine currently deep in development at Insomniac and rumors swirling that Spider-Man 3 might land as a PS6 launch title, players are already speculating about how the developer will handle the suit selection next time around. Will it double down on film tie-ins, or finally give comic purists the love they crave? There’s a smart middle ground—and it’s all about making movie suits variants, not standalone unlocks.
Let’s rewind the clock a bit. Spider-Man 2’s suit inventory for Peter felt like a Marvel Studios museum. Eight slots went to Tom Holland’s various cinematic looks—from the homemade sweatsuit to the sophisticated Iron Spider armor and the integrated suit from No Way Home. It was overkill, plain and simple. Miles, on the other hand, got far more original and comic-accurate designs, which only made Peter’s lineup look like a promo reel. The discourse on Reddit and forums was relentless: why does Peter have to cosplay as every MCU iteration when there are decades of iconic comic book costumes left on the cutting room floor? Missing heavy hitters like the Ben Reilly Sensational suit or the classic black suit without MCU textures made the sting even worse.
Now, in 2026, the MCU landscape has shifted dramatically. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man reportedly isn’t appearing in Avengers: Doomsday—a red herring or scheduling conflict with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth standalone Holland film that just wrapped production. Meanwhile, the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man dropped in 2025 and quickly became a fan favorite, sparking calls for its charming homemade suit to be added to the next game. Insomniac is caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side, movie buffs who love swinging around as cinematic Spidey would riot if those suits vanish. On the other, comic diehards are already sharpening their pitchforks if another chunk of unlockables get cannibalized by MCU advertisements. No matter what choice the studio makes, a slice of the fanbase will cry foul. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.
The ace up Insomniac’s sleeve could be a variant system. Picture this: instead of each movie suit hogging a standalone slot, they become variants of an existing base suit. For example, the Classic Suit could have an MCU variant that morphs it into the Stark Tech design, and the Advanced Suit could adopt the Far From Home black-and-red style—all with a simple toggle or submenu. This way, MCU lovers get their Hollywood fix, and comic enthusiasts see more slots dedicated to deep-cut gems like the Spider-Armor MK I or the Last Stand suit. It’s a win-win, but it ain’t a cakewalk to implement. MCU suits aren’t just recolors; they boast completely different textures, eye lenses, spider emblems, and even material physics. Insomniac would essentially have to craft each variant as a full suit, then tuck it behind a UI layer. That’s a ton of work, but if any studio can pull it off, it’s the team that gave us instant character switching and zero load times.
Looking ahead, the timeline is juicy. Marvel’s Wolverine is the next big thing from Insomniac, and industry insiders are whispering about a late 2026 release. After that, all eyes turn to Spider-Man 3. Given the Cadence, it wouldn’t be shocking if the game ends up as a PS6 launch title in 2028 or so—meaning Insomniac has ample time to rethink its suit philosophy. Plus, by then the MCU will likely have spawned even more suits from Brand New Day and possibly a follow-up to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. If the sequel still forces Peter to lug around a dozen movie slots, the backlash could be louder than a symbiote shriek. Instead, Insomniac could take a page from fighting games that offer character variations without bloating the roster.
Let’s be real: the perfect Spider-Man game doesn’t just nail web swinging and combat—it lets you dress Peter or Miles in the outfits that stir your nostalgia. There’s a quiet magic in unlocking the Bombastic Bag-Man suit or the Future Foundation look, and players deserve more of those moments. By embracing variants, Insomniac can honor the MCU’s enormous cultural footprint without suffocating the comic legacy that started it all. As we wait for official news in the next year or two, fans can only cross their fingers and hope that when Spider-Man 3 finally debuts, Peter’s closet is a celebration of all his identities—not just the ones that made a billion dollars at the box office. 🤞