Spider-Man 2: 5 Reasons Why Venom Should Be The Main Villain (& 5 Why It Should Be Kraven)
Kraven The Hunter and Venom have both been teased for Spider-Man 2. But which one will make a more fascinating and entertaining villain?
Spider-Man PS4 might have garnered great critical and commercial acclaim with its follow-up, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, following suit, but Insomniac is already working on the next installment and aren't ready to rest on their laurels. The trailer for the newest game seemed to promise fans that both Venom and Kraven The Hunter would be the villains of the piece.
While there's an argument to be made that Mister Negative was the key foe of the previous title, it ultimately came down to Doctor Octopus as the big bad. With these two juggernauts set for the sequel, only one can be considered to be the main villain of the title. But which one stands above the other, and why do they deserve the position?
10 Venom: Familiar With Audiences
With the success of Venom on the big screen, thanks to his solo movie and Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy, audiences are already fairly familiar with the villainous Symbiote. It also means that players will already know the rivalry between Venom and Spider-Man well.
This familiarity essentially gives Insomniac a pass to go in any direction. They don't need to spend a great deal of time setting up the character, but instead, can get creative in how they utilize the monster. With so many great comic book arcs to draw from, there's no limit to the potential here.
9 Kraven: A Fresh Face
Kraven The Hunter hasn't been featured in quite the same way as Venom. While video game fans might have seen him previously on far less popular titles, there's been no cinematic adaptation for the character and very little in the way of mainstream exposure.
With various versions of Kraven to draw from in the comics, the video games have a character on their hands that no general consumer would have expectations for. Much like Mister Negative, Spider-Man 2 could therefore act as a great introductory point for new fans, allowing this fresh face to stand out amongst the crowd and defining the title.
8 Venom: Ties To The Previous Games
Fans of the previous game will know that the Venom Symbiote had a small part to play. One of the mysteries of the title was the missing Harry Osborn. Largely presumed dead, it's revealed towards the finale of the title that Harry is very much alive.
However, a Symbiote has attached itself to Norman Osborn's son, with his powerful father trying to find a way to rid him of the beast. With this natural setup, it seems fitting that Insomniac would want to continue the narrative and therefore have Venom as the featured villain.
7 Kraven: The Best Comic Book Arc
There are so many Spider-Man comic book storylines that deserve their own video game adaptation, but Kraven arguably has one of the best narratives in the web-slinger's history. Kraven's Last Hunt is perhaps the pinnacle of the character in the source material.
The general premise is that Kraven finally manages to kill Peter Parker and masquerades as Spider-Man to showcase his superiority. Of course, the decision comes back to bite him, but it's a narrative that would work tremendously well on-screen - especially if players get to control this corrupted Spidey imposter. This is a story that deserves top billing.
6 Venom: Expanding The Universe
Miles Morales' introduction in the previous title meant that the universe was expanded a little more, leading to the spin-off game that was released on consoles earlier in the year. Venom's introduction could achieve something very similar, as who wouldn't want to play at the bloodthirsty Symbiote?
With Venom having great spin-off potential, it feels like he would be in a perfect position as the big bad, before turning anti-hero later down the line. This would give fans enough time to get used to this iteration of the character and perhaps give audiences a shock twist with the debut of the likes of The King In Black or Agent Venom, and again, expanding the Marvel Universe in a way Kraven can't.
5 Kraven: A Complex Foe
Kraven's Last Hunt is already a great explanation as to the complexities of this character. The premise of Kraven The Hunter is interesting. As the name suggests he is obsessed with the hunt, stopping at nothing to get the game that he feels will provide him with a mighty trophy.
He isn't pure evil though and the best Spider-Man villains often aren't but he is completely despicable when it comes to his treatment of animals. The reason that both Doc Ock and Mister Negative worked as villains is because of the duality within the characters. That same paradox of emotions can be seen in Kraven, whose honor can sometimes ruin the kill for him. It's a trait that would make a big bad far more compelling.
4 Venom: Symbiote Enemies
When looking at the main antagonist for a video game, how their gameplay would impact the title also has to be taken into account. As he has shown in some of the best Marvel video games, Venom's attacks can be vicious and erratic.
What's more, this opens the doors for a range of Symbiote enemies to join the fray. Whether it's infected henchmen or others drawn from the comics, like Carnage or Riot, Spider-Man would have lots of tough opponents on his hands. Kraven is really a solo act.
3 Kraven: New Directions
The Symbiote direction is almost expected from the franchise, as it's already been teased and every adaptation appears to go back in this same direction. For Spider-Man 2, the developers perhaps want to set themselves apart from what has come before.
Kraven is a perfect character to do this with. Since Insomniac is also working on Wolverine, it feels very apparent that The Hunter would also like the X-Man within his collection of kills. Kraven could be the key for the series to go in a new direction while linking into their next big projects in the same Gamerverse.
2 Venom: Black Suit Spider-Man
Is there a more iconic look or character arc than the black suit Spider-Man? Peter Parker getting taken over by the Venom Symbiote is entrenched in comic book legend. It's a story that has been retold in a variety of ways and it would be intriguing to see Insomniac's take.
Not only is the suit itself incredibly powerful, but the way the alien imposter influences the mind of the friendly neighborhood hero also adds a lot of needed layers to the story. Ultimately, the sequel could be defined by the black suit and the impact it has on both the gameplay and the arc.
1 Kraven: A Unique Design
Some of Spider-Man's villains can feel a little repetitive in their design. Animal-based rogues are common for the superhero and the previous game did manage to separate the different villains, despite some of the mechanical upgrades that they received.
With some similarities at play, there's no doubt that Kraven's design, abilities, and characteristics would be completely different from anything audiences have seen before. There's a whimsicality and yet a grittiness to the hunter that makes him such a compelling comic book big bad to fight against.