2018's Spider-Man became an instant classic when it was released on the PlayStation 4 and the news that a sequel is officially in the works was definitely welcomed by fans earlier this year.
The teaser trailer revealed that Peter Parker and Miles Morales will be teaming up to battle Venom and Kraven the Hunter, and we're bound to see plenty of other villains in the game. We're sure a few will be familiar (more Shocker is never a bad thing), but new additions to the game are definitely a must.
With that in mind, we're now taking a look at five bad guys who are an essential addition to a sequel that's bound to blow its predecessor away (especially with the power of the PS5). A mix of classic and new villains, each of those featured here would bring something new and exciting to the table.
Take a look through our Spider-Man 2 villain wishlist by clicking on the "Next" button down below!
5. Madame Swarm
Introduced in the pages of Spider-Verse #5, Madame Swarm is a former Nazi scientist who gained her creepy powers after coming into possession of an ancient spider totem.
Her killer bees have caused Miles Morales plenty of trouble in the comic books, and with the power of the PlayStation 5, we're sure she'd look incredible in action. Chasing Madame Swarm through New York City would be a lot of fun as either web-slinger, though a fight with her would no doubt grant players the opportunity to use Miles' Venom Blasts in amazing, creative ways.
With Kraven the Hunter set to take centre stage, it makes sense to bring in a few more animalistic villains and this obscure baddie is someone Insomniac can take a few creative liberties with. That's always exciting (just look at Tinkerer in Spider-Man: Miles Morales), and as noted, this little-known baddie is likely to be a great showcase for the console's enhanced abilities.
4. The Lizard
If we're getting Kraven, then it only makes sense for The Lizard to show up. Making his transformation a subplot throughout Spider-Man 2 would be a blast, especially as he's a bad guy with tonnes of potential.
Not only does his introduction open the door to exploring New York City's sewers, but just picture how brutal things could get with a monstrous Lizard taking aim at the two lead web-slingers. The conflicted bad guy is one we've seen in a lot of Spider-Man video games, and he's always made for a thrilling, formidable opponent; now, Insomniac can up the ante and make him a true force.
Remember, we know from the first instalment that Peter has already crossed paths with him. With that in mind, the game could borrow elements from "Torment" to tie The Lizard's return into whatever Kraven has planned for both Spider-Men. This horror vibe would freshen things up a little at times too.
3. Sandman
Sandman has never been the easiest villain to portray in a video game, especially when previous consoles arguably haven't been advanced enough to make those sand effects 100% convincing.
Well, in Spider-Man 2, we're confident that the PS5 could do Flint Marko justice and push both Peter and Miles to their limits. Just imagine battling a giant Sandman - a recurring theme in video games - and actually swinging through a sandstorm! Heck, the visual of pounding the villain into literal dust as he begins to weaken would be insane and unlike anything we've seen on screen before.
We're not suggesting making Sandman a lead villain, but putting him on the same level as the likes of The Kingpin or Shocker in the first game would be an entertaining, awe-inspiring diversion from the main narrative. We also fully trust Insomniac to give this guy a long overdue fresh lick of paint.
2. Mysterio
That first game also confirmed that Spider-Man had battled Mysterio in the past, so there's already a built-in repertoire there this sequel could expand on. After what Spider-Man: Far From Home did with the villain, we'd love a slightly more serious take on Quentin Beck after he aligns himself with Kraven the Hunter and unleashes chaos in the lives of both Peter and Miles.
Honestly, it's Miles we'd love to see pitted against Mysterio because he's never been exposed to the villain's powers of illusion. That means both he and us could be taken on a wild, crazy ride in a playable sequence that pushes the boundaries of what the PlayStation 5 can do in terms of visuals.
There's a lot Insomniac could do with this character, and while he's not exactly grounded in reality, his presence would lead to moments and battles unlike anything seen in the previous games. Those covered so much ground, it would be no bad thing to shake things up swith an injection of wackiness.
1. Green Goblin
We're a little conflicted about this one. With Venom and Kraven the Hunter already taking centre stage, shoehorning the Green Goblin into Spider-Man 2 could prove a costly mistake that disappoints fans. However, there's really no reason we couldn't witness Norman Osborn's transformation into a supervillain here, setting the stage for Spider-Man 3 at the same time.
Honestly, we wouldn't be against facing the Goblin right at the end of the game, establishing that personal, bitter rivalry he has with Peter in order for their dynamic to be fully explored further down the line.
Insomniac is clearly taking a slow burn approach to having Norman go from mayor to madman; Spider-Man 2 needs to pull the trigger on that transformation, though, and we're sure the results will be spectacular. Fingers crossed we won't have to wait four or five years before actually getting to fight him!