Summary
With three acclaimed games now under its belt, Insomniac’sSpider-Manuniverse is well under way, and the door is still wide open for future sequels and spin-offs. During the course ofMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s main story, side content, and post-credits scenes, fans are given plenty of teases about where the franchise could go next, and according to the unfortunate horde of leaked documents from the end of last year, a good few plans are already in place.
At the end of 2023, Insomniac Games suffered a major ransomware attack that resulted in some highly confidential internal documents being released online. Among these were tentative plans for future Insomniac Marvel games, along with the reveal of a multiplayerSpider-Manspinoff game that was seemingly canceled during its development. About a week ago, a trailer for thisSpider-Manmultiplayer game was leaked, and though it definitely looked a little rough around the edges, it showed some interesting concepts, one of which - the character of Spider-Gwen - shouldn’t just go to waste now.
Spider-Man: The Great Web’s Cancelation Shouldn’t Spell Doom for Spider-Gwen
Spider-Man: The Great Web’s Trailers Put Spider-Gwen In the Main Ensemble
Officially titledMarvel’s Spider-Man: The Great Web, this multiplayer spinoff would have had players forge teams of up to five Spider-People, all tasked with the shared goal of taking down the Sinister Six across the multiverse. Along with Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Scarlet Spider, and Spider-Man 2099, Gwen Stacy’s Ghost-Spider plays a prominent role in the leaked trailer, wearing a range of different outfits, all of which play on her classic white, black, pink, and blue costume design.
Since making her comic book debut in 2014,Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Woman/Ghost-Spiderhas only continued to grow more popular by the year. While her debut solo comic series garnered an immediate fan-base, Spider-Gwen’s popularity reached new heights with the release ofSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseback in 2018, where she has a major role in the movie. The character’s popularity was further reinforced with last year’s sequel,Across the Spider-Verse, in which Gwen plays an even greater role in the story. So, it’s only natural that Insomniac would want to capitalize on Spider-Gwen’s ever-growing popularity, but with the apparent cancelation ofSpider-Man: The Great Web, the chances of the hero appearing in a video game anytime soon aren’t too high - though that shouldn’t be the case.
A Spider-Gwen Game Should Still Be On The Cards
Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Woman deserves the video game treatment, and if it’s not going to be a multiplayer spin-off, then it should be in her very own solo adventure. There are a few different routes Insomniac - or any other developer - could take with Spider-Gwen. The first is to simply bring Gwen Stacy into the mainInsomniacSpider-Manuniverse. Currently, it’s unclear whether Gwen Stacy exists in Insomniac’sSpider-Manuniverse, and if she does, it’s a complete mystery where she’s been or what she’s currently doing. That leaves the door wide open for Spider-Gwen to enter the Insomniac universe.
Alternatively, Spider-Gwen could enter the Insomniac universe as a visitor from another dimension, taking a page out ofInto the Spider-Verse’s playbook while not adapting it directly. This would allow Insomniac to get really creative with both the game’s aesthetic and its story, with Gwen potentially being able to travel to other universes, each of which could have a unique art style. This would be a pretty natural evolution of Insomniac’sRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartportal-hopping mechanics, which the developer seems keen on revisiting, ifMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Black Cat chase sequenceis anything to go by.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
