Who is Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?

Venom is one of Spider-Man’s most valuable allies in many Marvel stories, but he always has to play the role of villain first. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2The sequel to 2018’s web-slinger and the 2020 spinoff. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesThe classic Spider-Man versus Venom battle is set up by. But when Insomniac Games creative director Bryan Intihar confirmed that the highly anticipated sequel will come to PlayStation 5 this October, he teased that Venom’s identity in the game may remain a mystery until players discover it for themselves.

It was a surprise to me. Marvel’s Spider-ManFans, the ending of the original game gives away who is going to be the one fighting the symbiote. We wanted to do some investigative journalism and gather all of the information that we could. Venom, the villain in Venom Marvel’s Spider-Man 2? Let’s see if we can figure it out.

Who isn’t Venom

Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

During the Summer Game Fest reveal, Intihar told host Geoff Keighley that the most famous Venom — journalist, meathead, and onetime rival to Peter Parker, Eddie Brock — won’t be inside the symbiote this time. It’s one of the very few things that we can say for certain about Venom. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Keighley asked if one of the Osborns was Venom, but Intihar only confirmed that Brock was out of the running (which we’ll revisit further down).

Who else do we know isn’t Venom? Most non-male character are probably also out. The reveal featured some artwork of Venom — whose suit/skin, much like the Spider-Mans, should look very familiar to comic fans — and the character does look conventionally masculine. In a prior trailer, we heard Venom speak in a male voice. When the Venom symbiote (or any symbiote) uses a femme body as a host, the combined body typically takes on more *cough* stereotypically feminine features (e.g., Michelle Williams in the first Venom movie).

Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Who else? Miles nor Peter is Venom. It may seem obvious but anything could happen if Peter wears a symbiote at any point during the game. Venom appears to be fighting the classic Spider-Mans both in the artwork and pre-order statues for the video game. Can it be anyone else under those masks besides Miles and Peter? It’s possible! But at that point we’re talking about some marketing shenanigans, and that’s not worth getting into.

Intihar also said something interesting about Venom. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which is that Insomniac is looking to tell an “original story,” something fans haven’t seen in the movies or comics. If you take this literally, then it’s a very loaded statement, since almost every major Marvel hero and villain in history has wore a symbiote. But before we proceed, I don’t think we can take this as literally as it seems, or that Venom in Spider-Man 2It will likely be someone new, who’s never used the name Spider-Man before. It seems that the Venom will come from someone who is unusual or uncommon to most fans. We’ve already seen two live-action Eddie Brock Venoms, so that’s probably why he’s out of the running.

Harry Osborn – Is he venom?

Harry Osborn — Peter’s childhood friend and son to the mayor, Norman — is absolutely the prime candidate for Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Insomniac would like players to at least think of Harry. Consider a number of different ways to think aboutVenom will be the next movie.

The end is near Marvel’s Spider-Man, it’s revealed that Harry (who was “out of the country” for the entire game) was actually in what is essentially a bacta tank hidden in Norman’s apartment. Harry is sick with the same disease that killed his mother, and Norman is going to any lengths to ensure he’s cured. Harry appears to be receiving a symbiote treatment, as he is confined in a tank surrounded by black gooey spider webs.

It’s hard to ignore this teaser. Venom appeared in the very first trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2I was one of those fans who assumed Harry. But Intihar’s unwillingness to confirm or deny an Osborn Venom does make things a bit tricky. Does it really not Harry? Insomniac may be trying to plant doubts in order to hype up the reveal. It’s impossible to say for sure, but Harry seems like the obvious host for Venom in this universe.

Norman Osborn – Is he a Venom?

Prior to Insomniac’s release date announcement, Norman would’ve been a distant second to Harry on the “who is Venom” chart. Norman’s ranking has risen dramatically since Intihar was so reserved. Giving Norman the symbiote — and then potentially letting Harry take on the classic Green Goblin role in a different game — could be just the right mix of familiar and different (something Insomniac nailed in the first game) that the studio is going for.

Norman is also well positioned to become Venom’s host based on the tease, so fans wouldn’t feel like they were being baited back in 2018. Venom is living in the present day. The following are some examples of how to use Norman’s apartment. Norman visits his son regularly. It doesn’t seem too far-fetched that Norman’s carelessness and ambition could get the better of him during a late-night visit.

Kraven Venom is it safe?

Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Kraven The Hunter is one the biggest baddies in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2Peter’s classic symbiote will be worn for the first time by this new threat. Kraven might also be Venom.

Venom typically is pretty beefy even in the hands of smaller men (no offense to Tom Hardy, but he’s only 5-foot-9, and Venom is massive in those films), but Kraven already has the shoulders for it. It’s also relatively easy to imagine a world where Kraven loses to Spider-Man’s symbiote suit and then dons one of his own to get an advantage against his prey.

The only thing that goes against this is the fact that Kraven usually keeps his lion-like vest on when he becomes a symbiote. And the Venom in art we see is the classic vestless Venom.

Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk is a short-lived heel in both Marvel’s Spider-ManThe following are some examples of how to get started: Miles Morales. Peter locks the Big Man in prison in just 30 minutes in the first game. In the first game, Peter puts the big man in jail within 30 minutes of gameplay. Miles MoralesMiles stops Kingpin from making some of his shady business deals. Fisk already has something to say about each Spider-Man character in the universe if Fisk is released in the sequel. And, crucially, he knows he’ll lose to Peter if he just tries to fight him again without a significant increase in power.

Kingpin wearing the Venom suit has two small problems. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The first is that this Venom looks much bigger than Miles and Peter in the artwork, but he’s not Kingpin big. Kingpin would actually need to shrink a bit to fit in the symbiote body, which isn’t impossible, but seems unlikely.

Still, Fisk fits “unique” better than any other candidate here, so it’s worth keeping an eye on him as a hail-mary choice.

It’s not you, it is someone else.

Image: Sony Pictures

New York City is huge, and even if Venom’s Spider-Verse character was restricted to only male characters, the options are nearly endless.

Is it one of the Sinister Six? Sure! How about the other most famous Venom, who also didn’t appear in the first game, Flash Thompson? Why not?

Venom is a game where characters from the first title can easily be adapted. And then there are so many “normal dudes” who haven’t appeared in the games yet who could also get Venomized.

Personally, I’m hoping we see Darin De Paul’s J. Jonah Jameson take on the symbiote, if only because I’d love to see a cigar between those big ol’ teeth.