Summary
- Insomniac's smart choice in avoiding a Gwen Stacy cameo paves the way for a focus on Silk's potential in the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise.
- Silk as a playable character needs careful development to avoid overcrowding and maintain narrative and gameplay quality.
- Silk's unique abilities and perspective as a female protagonist may require her own standalone game rather than being shoehorned into Marvel's Spider-Man 3.
Marvel’s Spider-Man made one of its smartest choices in resisting a Gwen Stacy cameo, much less having her colloquially known Spider-Woman persona appear. Indeed, Gwen has been made incredibly popular thanks to the Spider-Verse movies where she plays a prominent role, and Insomniac already places a massive enough emphasis on Miles Morales as a paramount protagonist—though Gwen would’ve made it into Insomniac’s canceled Great Web game. It does seem like Insomniac is itching to expand Marvel’s Spider-Man beyond its titular male wall-crawlers nonetheless, and Cindy Moon’s Silk was an excellent decision.
Silk is a relatively unknown character still and that’s a niche Insomniac could revel in while no other media is currently hoisting her up into popularity. That said, Insomniac doesn’t appear to have much time left to give Cindy the attention she deserves in the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, let alone the time Miles was given in his own half-sequel. If Insomniac is moving forward with X-Men-related endeavors after Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, Silk may inevitably feel like a half-baked character inclusion.
Silk Deserves Her Own Miles Morales-esque Half-Sequel
To toss Silk idly into Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, whether she’s already in a black, white, and red costume or not, would be a misfire. Luckily for Insomniac, Silk’s origin would be tremendously easy to explain with her having been bitten by the same spider that bit Peter, if not another random spider from Oscorp. It’s also fully possible that Insomniac will make deviations from her lore for the purposes of its original canon, meaning that a full history of Cindy as a character is superfluous.
Still, having someone new share playtime with Peter and Miles will be a balancing act that could detract from story beats and gameplay design in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 is Going to Be Jam-Packed
As much as it needs to, Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 isn’t going to have any time to properly develop Silk alone, making a spin-off for her essential if Insomniac truly wants her to help helm the IP as a full-fledged Spider-Person. Peter will have his hands full with at least one Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and other super-villains while Miles could be busy getting to know the daughter of his mother’s new lover and that would still be an overcrowded narrative that Silk doesn’t presently need any fundamental part in.
Silk isn’t a ‘Spider-Man’ and That Should Be Distinguished
Silk being a playable protagonist in a game presumably titled Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 would be disappointing since the game’s name wouldn’t be fully representative of who is featured. There’s an argument to be made that Mary Jane Watson never had her own share of the Marvel’s Spider-Man title, either, but Mary Jane’s always been a side character whose unique perspective was perceived as vital to gameplay. Instead, the title is reserved for characters with actual abilities and who take the Spider-Man mantle.
Silk is a superpowered individual with spider powers, but she is not a male character and not representing that could downplay how important her role is in the game. That’s why it might make more sense if Silk had her own game with its own title breaking away from Marvel’s Spider-Man, even if it’s something as straightforward as Marvel’s Silk, to acknowledge the distinction of Silk as a female protagonist.
Spider-Man carries the brand name for Insomniac’s franchise, but even Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silk would be misrepresentative unless Peter or Miles were playable alongside her. This could work in the case of Miles potentially showing Cindy the ropes on how to be a Spider-Person, as is suggested by their chance meeting with parents who are romantically connected, and a future as step-siblings could be in the cards for Miles and Cindy as much as them sharing a mentor/mentee relationship.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Released
- October 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.
Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.
Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Franchise
- Spider-Man
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero
- How Long To Beat
- 17 hours
- Metascore
- 90
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
