Spider-Man 2 Is Missing This Major New York City Landmark

Updated 10/20/2023Spider-Man 2 also lacks the Chrysler Building. The same building as in Spider-Man Miles Morales has been painted over to replace it. 

Compare the Chrysler Building, captured by a PlayStation 4 with the base version of Spider-Man 2, and its new counterpart in Spider-Man 2 below. 

Sony didn’t respond to our requests for comments in time. (Though it is safe to assume that whatever reason Sony gave us back three years ago, it may still apply here. Below is more information on this.

The original story continues below…

For the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales in 2018, the Chrysler Building was taken down. It was featured not just in Marvel’s Spider-Man, but in many Marvel-related media for decades. The Chrysler Building is likely to make fewer appearances in 2019 as the building will be under new ownership. A copyright attorney explained how buildings can be protected and Insomniac Games discussed why they had to alter their version of New York City’s skyline.  

In May 1930, the Chrysler Building officially opened. The Empire State Building completed one mile away in May 1931 was the tallest skyscraper in the entire world. It is no surprise that the Chrysler Building, which was completed in 1930, has become one of New York City’s and American architecture’s most popular skyscrapers. Art Deco Building, which has 77 stories and rises 1,046 ft, is famous for eight eagles which are visible on the exterior of its 61st-floor.

The structure has also been a staple in Marvel comics, movies, and now games. It is heavily featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Spider-Man animated series, and the various Spider-Man film adaptations and movie posters. Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 featured the Chrysler Building as one of its 47 main landmarks. Players were required to take photos for an optional side-mission. This was then recreated in the open-world. In Miles Morales you can see the nondescript building in the exact same place on the map. In the latest PlayStation 5 remake of Spider-Man 1, the Chrysler Building still appears. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered includes the Chrysler Building, but it is absent in Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales.

Abu Dhabi Investment Council is an investment arm for the Abu Dhabi Government. Since 2008 it has controlled 90% of the building, with Tishman Speyer Properties based in New York managing the property even though they only owned 10%. When Insomniac released its first Spider-Man video game, these two companies owned the building. The building was put up for auction in January 2019 – a full year and half before Miles Morales’ release – and copurchased by Austrian SIGNA group and New York Real Estate Development Company RFR Holding LLC in March 2019. Interestingly, the building was purchased for $150 million in 2019, down from the reported $300 million ($433 million inflated for 2019) it was purchased for in 2001 and significantly less than the $800 million ($957 million inflated for 2019) Abu Dhabi Investment Council reportedly spent in 2008 for its majority of the building and the retail space next door. 

Architectural works, such as The Chrysler Building, can now be protected by copyright in the same way that other types of artwork are. A copyright office in the United States defines architectural works as: “the design or layout of a particular building, whether it be embodied as an actual building, architectural drawings or plans.” […]This requirement is met by houses, offices, churches and museums. The Office, on the other hand, will not register tents or recreational vehicles.

Copyright holders won’t pursue a photo you take of a particular building. However, they will protect themselves against more obvious infractions. For example, if another company copies a design from a specific building for their own purposes. Building owners may also go after businesses for using copyrighted architectural designs on merchandise.

Michael Lee is the founder of Lee Law. The firm specializes in brand protection, influencer law and intellectual property. Game Informer. “You cannot protect something’s functionality, but the artistic elements can be protected.” If you notice something that is unique or different in architecture, like a spire at the top of a building, or even curved glass on pillars, it will be protected under copyright. So in order to reproduce it in either another building or make a derivative work such as a T-shirt, a model, or even putting it in a video game, you need authorization from the copyright owner to reproduce the protected thing – which in this case could be the Chrysler Building.”

Chrysler Building New York City

The Chrysler Building, for example, is covered by copyright and its IP owners are free to choose whether it appears in media like Miles Morales. SIGNA group or RFR Holding LLC may have decided to not allow their building’s appearance in the video game for any reason. This is true even if previous owners permitted it. As the owner of the Chrysler Building it is their legal right to refuse permission, even if the previous owners had allowed it. Insomniac told us that they tried to obtain permission but were unable to. 

James Stevenson is Insomniac’s Community Director. Game InformerWhen asked to comment. “Sometimes negotiations to use those locations didn’t work out, which was the case with the Chrysler Building in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.“

The Chrysler Building on Spider-Man Remastered’s map (left) and the building missing from Miles Morales’ map (right)

It doesn’t follow that all people will abide by the copyright laws or that a building’s inclusion isn’t covered under fair use. Lee cites an example where a short shot of Empire State Building could be considered fair use. Some companies may not care about the legalities and just take the chance. Lee says, on the other hand it could put a firm at risk of a lawsuit. That’s why there are teams in many companies that work to clear rights. In the case Miles Morales, a game with an open-world where the players could climb and inspect each building as Chrysler did in Spider-Man 1, including the level of detail that was included without consent would open Insomniac Marvel and Sony to potential litigation. 

Lee says that if you are looking closely at the use, it is more likely to be considered an infringement.

Insomniac was not willing to risk any mistakes, even when it meant removing a significant part of New York City’s Skyline. 

For more on Miles Morales, check out our review.