How Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Sets Up Marvel's Spider-Man 3's Story & Villains

There's no shortage of side activities in , with an abundance of suits for both Peter and Miles often unlocked as a reward for completing them. While some side activities such as "" can function somewhat independently of the game's main narrative, and act as a way to set up a potential future DLC storyline, others such as the Emily-May Foundation experiments feed directly into Peter Parker and Harry Osborn's main aspirations to «heal the world».

brought back an enduringly popular figure from the previous games in the series, but it did so only to almost immediately kill him off in one of the most unbearably emotional scenes in the entire game. weaves a dramatic narrative with numerous characters, and though this tug at the heartstrings of long-time fans of the series is quite cheap, it is devastatingly effective. Ultimately, brought back one character for no reason but to die — their death is not narratively important, nor does their death present a lingering point of conflict.

Insomniac Games' for PlayStation 5 is filled with Easter eggs and character guest appearances. Part of the series' allure has always been finding these secrets and interacting with fan-favorite characters. Now, with Miles Morales being a main character in the series and not simply a spin-off or guest himself, Insomniac has a big job for any upcoming DLC to continue to expand the cast of characters.

Happy Friday, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable releases to streaming and video rental, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

Mary Jane Watson plays a significant role in , both from a narrative perspective as Peter's girlfriend, but also as a temporarily playable character, and most interestingly as part of one of the game's more surprising twists. MJ was introduced to the Spider-Man canon in 1965; since then she has gone on to become Peter Parker's main love interest and the principal beneficiary of his affection in the franchise's many movies, comics, and video games.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2's director has addressed the Sandman plothole and there isn't really any reason as to why the villain appeared in both games. 

Spider-Man 2's director, Bryan Intihar, has acknowledged that Sandman's inclusion in the sequel is a bit of a plothole thanks to a collectible that could be found in the first game.

Marvel comics, TV shows, and especially movies seem to have a requirement to emphasize the “what’s next” of it all, where the end of everything is also a tease for something else. Well, folks, Insomniac Games took that assignment, ran with it, and took a few extra laps just for good measure.

This January, writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Marco Checchetto will finally answer the stolen prayers of a million quiet voices and present what many fans will likely agree is the Ultimate Ultimate Spider-Man: a world where Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson are happily married with two kids, and Peter somehow still makes it work as Spider-Man.

Tony Todd, the voice actor behind Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, has gotten the Tom Hardy seal of approval.

Upon booting up Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, I did what any self-respecting New Yorker would do: I beelined it toward my favorite part of the city as soon as possible, to see how Insomniac Games had recreated the locale. In my case, this meant veering toward South Brooklyn, even as Sandman was wreaking havoc on the infrastructure of Manhattan’s Financial District. However, as I swung beneath the gothic arches of Brooklyn Bridge, the better to glimpse the steel girders and stevedore cranes of Red Hook from a distance, the vista confirmed what I had feared deep down: My favorite neighborhood wasn’t even there.

Mysterio is causing chaos in New York City in , and he's crafted a series of challenges for Miles Morales' Spider-Man. These challenges, known as Mysteriums or Mysterium Dev Diaries, throw Miles into heavy combat with a few twists like poisonous gas, invisible enemies, and other strange games to mess with Miles' head.