Summary
Miles Morales has always been a bit of a hot-button character since his conception in the comics, and it wasn’t until the unbridled popularity ofInto the Spider-Versethat he became one of fans’ favorite iterations of Spider-Man. Therefore, whenInsomniac’s take on Milesfollowed shortly after, it was impossible not to make comparisons between the two from a storytelling perspective.
That was even more prevalent inMiles’ eponymous half-sequel, where even more comparisons brewed between the two interpretations. But while theMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise has surely taken advantage ofSpider-Versecollaborations in suits, themes, characters, and now quests, it is hopefully open to branching out more independently with Miles afterMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Prowler and Backstory for Miles Held Him Back a Bit
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Echoed a Lot of Into the Spider-Verse
BeforeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, Miles was still coming into his own inMiles Moralesand didn’t even receive powers until the end ofMarvel’s Spider-Man. Plus, knowing how few original interpretations of Miles there currently are, it makes sense that Insomniac’s would clash withSpider-Verse’s and share a lot of iconography or events.
Characters such as the Prowler seem forgivingly inseparable from Miles now with their familial connection, for instance, whileSpider-Verse’s choice to take place in the winter was also a choice that Insomniac made forMiles Morales. Insomniac went with the Tinkerer for its sympathetic villain and it’s wonderful that it has only briefly dabbled in its own Spider-Verse nonsense withMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Spider-Bots, but it’s hard not to compare these iterations of Miles when they’re both easily the most popular.
The single greatest piece of Miles’ character development in theMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise is also its most unique, and that’s the connection he shares with Martin Li’s Mr. Negative, also known as the terrorist whose attack on city hall resulted in the collateral damage killing of Miles’ father. However, both Li and Uncle Aaron have received closure inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, meaning thatwhere his story goes inMarvel’s Spider-Man 3is open-endedaside from potentially mentoring Cindy Moon as she becomes Silk.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Can Be an Open Book for Miles
Now that Miles isn’t withheld by inspirations stemming from his animated counterpart, no matter how intentional, he will hopefully be able to carve out his own path. This doesn’t mean that Insomniac needs to make an effort to portray its Miles in stark contrast to everything theSpider-Versemovies do, but it should seem as if they are two diverse interpretations nonetheless.
Peter has managed to feel incredibly diverse from his other abundant interpretations, for instance, and with how few Miles runs there are out there it’s not hard to notice when one is making a refreshing stamp on the character’s lore and personality. Besides him potentially overseeinghow Cindy develops into Silk, the only open avenue so far for Miles now happens to be in his music tech ambitions at school, meaning that he’s committed to following Peter’s footsteps in not securing himself a job where his intellectual ingenuity could actually be valuable, let alone lucrative.
It’s possible thatMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’sSpider-Verseconnectionscould bleed much more literally and impactfully in a third game, potentially roping Miles into whatever plans Insomniac has cooking for that. Either way,Beyond the Spider-Versewill presumably release a lot sooner thanMarvel’s Spider-Man 3or a possible half-sequel will.
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.
