In a recent interview, Stephen Oyoung, who plays Mr. Negative, talked about how his character Red Hood influenced the returning villain in Spider-Man 2.

Marvel and DC are often considered on opposite ends of the table. Apparently, they have been competing for six decades. But while the two comic book giants are often seen as mortal enemies, in fact, it is often the case that each has inspired the other in a myriad of ways, from individual comic book storylines and general character outlines to the construction of coherent cinematic universes. An excellent example of the latter is the case of the highly successful Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

A great example of building a bridge between the two comic book worlds is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Stephen Oyoung recently starred in the Marvel and DC video game universes.

Oyoung recently spoke in some detail about how his performance as the Gotham Knights’ Red Hood was influenced by his previous work as Mr. Negative in 2018’s Spider-Man. Also, how Red Hood shaped Mr. Negative’s return in Spider-Man 2.

Red Hood is close to the character in Spider-Man 2, both physically and morally

Having worked in the video games industry for over a decade, it’s only natural that Stephen Oyoung has had a few roles he’s proud of. Of course, one of Oyoung’s best-known roles, which he seems to hold very close to his heart, is Mr. Negative in Insomniac’s Spider-Man universe. Making his debut in Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018, Oyoung brought Mr. Negative into the mainstream.

But Mr. Negative is far from the only notable role Stephen Oyoung has had, and when asked what his favourite role since Spider-Man was, Oyoung said it was Jason Todd/Red Hood from Gotham Knights.

When asked about how his portrayal of Red Hood influenced his role as Mr. Negative in the sequel, Oyoung had this to say:

“Without spoiling too much, I think a little of Jason’s physicality carried over. He’s a bigger guy, so when he wasn’t fighting he was moving a little heavier. You could call it with a little world weariness. That played well with the passing of time in the game world of Spider-Man. Mr. Negative’s kind of gone through it.”

On paper, Red Hood and Mr. Negative are entirely different characters. With altogether different backstories and abilities. But in the interview, Oyoung made some insightful comparisons between the two comic book characters. He highlighted how similar they actually are:

“There are definitely similarities there. They’ve both lost their parents to tragedy, were victimized by a criminal mastermind but afterward gained otherworldly powers, then used those powers or their training to terrorize criminals and innocents alike in their quest for justice or vengeance. They both have that internal push and pull between good and evil.”

But Mr. Negative isn’t the only role Oyoung has portrayed over the years, and just as Red Hood influenced Oyoung’s portrayal of Mr. Negative in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Mr. Negative has influenced Oyoung’s many other roles.

During the interview, Oyoung mentioned that he used Martin Li’s underlying gentleness in the first Spider-Man game in his later roles.

He mentioned the character’s sentimentality, which was eye-catching for his subsequent performances.

Source: Hocmarketing.org