Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 easter egg hints at a big return as we get an explanation of why the Mary Jane missions are back and what the developers’ original plans were with “Venom”…
Insomniac Games has admitted that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has a strange easter egg. He hinted that this could mean that Daredevil could appear in a future update or DLC. Insomniac’s three Spider-Man games to date have been stunning open-world experiences filled with exciting details and easter eggs. Daredevil is just one example. Considering how many of Spider-Man’s allies and villains have yet to appear, Daredevil may not be the character fans were expecting.
Both Insomniac’s original Spider-Man game and its Miles Morales sequel feature a notable Daredevil Easter egg.
In Hell’s Kitchen, there is a building with a sign on its facade that says “Nelson and Murdock”, a reference to Daredevil’s humble law office. There was also a lucky pink flyer on a nearby door with the word “NOTICE” on it, which fans thought was an eviction. In Spider-Man 2, the supposed eviction notice was still there, but Nelson and Murdock’s names were removed from the sign.
IGN recently took the opportunity to ask Insomniac Creative Director Bryan Intihar about Spider-Man 2 Easter Eggs in the latest Beyond podcast. Asked about the Nelson and Murdock caption, hoping to clarify whether it was intentional or a mistake, Intihar gave a frowning response. He said, “That’s a good question. Stay tuned. It’s a good find, though.” In other words, Intihar is telling fans that their question might be answered in the future.
The original Insomniac Spider-Man game included three DLC chapters featuring many vital characters.
In other words, it is a realistic idea that Spider-Man 2 will also receive DLC, introducing or expanding other Marvel characters. However, this is not guaranteed, as the Miles Morales game did not receive story DLC.
To clarify, there are currently no confirmed DLC plans for Spider-Man 2. However, there is a lot of speculation about DLC possibilities. A storyline revolving around a sect that worships a person called The Flame could easily lead to the DLC. Unfortunately, without further confirmation from Insomniac, this is all just speculation.
Why Are Mary Jane Missions Back in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?
Bryan Intihar also explained why Insomniac Games decided to bring back the stealth parts of Mary Jane. He confirmed that the team wanted to improve the gameplay in these sequences. Like its predecessor, Spider-Man 2 received very positive reviews. The title is considered a vast improvement over the original title. Even the MJ-focused parts were slightly better received.
The stealth-focused Mary Jane episodes were one of the most controversial parts of the first Spider-Man. Before the sequel’s release, many fans argued against Spider-Man 2 featuring MJ. Many considered them “boring” and “annoying”, and players didn’t feel they were given the same freedom as the rest of the game. But that didn’t stop the team from trying to improve on them instead of discarding them.
Bryan Intihar has now shed light on the decisions that led to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 keeping Mary Jane-specific parts despite fan backlash.
According to Intihar, the team considered removing these segments. Instead, they decided it was essential to stay, as they could show the world from a different perspective. The answer was to improve the gameplay of the MJ episodes. Make him a “superhero” even without special abilities. That’s why Mary Jane got a powerful stun gun in Spider-Man 2. This allows him to knock down strong opponents and makes him feel less like a weaker character compared to Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
During the interview, Intihar also discussed how Insomniac Games considered making MJ stronger before the game. The team toyed with the idea of allowing MJ to use the web launcher briefly in Spider-Man 1 during a scene where Peter Parker is severely injured, but this idea did not make it into the final version of the game.
Would Spider-Man have faced a “venomized” enemy?!
According to Insomniac Games Chief Creative Officer Bryan Intihar, a “Venomized” version of one of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 villains is reportedly under consideration. However, it was eventually cut. One of Spider-Man’s most infamous enemies, the Sandman plays a crucial role in the early Spider-Man 2. According to Intihar, he could have had a much bigger role. He could have returned in “Venom” form.
This version of Sandman never made it past the concept art for Spider-Man 2, but according to Intihar, it could be rethought at any time.
On the IGN Beyond podcast, Bryan Intihar shared some of the behind-the-scenes secrets behind the development of Spider-Man 2. One of the most exciting details that Intihar shared is that Insomniac was designing a “Venomized” Sandman concept at one point. While Intihar didn’t elaborate on precisely what that means, it hints that Sandman would either bond with Venom or Venom would use his powers to take control of Sandman. (While still attached to someone else.) Either way, this would probably lead to a black-clad Sandman with big teeth and other exciting abilities.
According to Intihar, the Venomized Sandman concept unfortunately remained in Insomniac’s editing room. There were several reasons for the decision. One is that, according to Intihar, it was pretty challenging to make Sandman the way he is. Two, the time and resources required to implement the concept were too high. Venomized Sandman exists as a concept drawing and an idea, but nothing more.
Intihar says that Insomniac may decide to revisit the Venomized Sandman idea at some point in the future.
He says the concept art is “really cool” and “maybe one day.” Now that Venom is part of Insomniac’s Spider-Man universe, there are many exciting possibilities for the team to explore in a sequel.
Source: IGN
