How Insomniac’s Spider-Man Could Change Video Game Stories Forever

With the recent release of Avengers Infinity War, it’s become more clear than ever that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed pop culture forever. While other companies have tried to make their own inter-connected franchises, no one has come close to Marvel’s success. This success hasn’t exactly carried over into more interactive mediums, as the last half decade or so has put Marvel in somewhat of an awkward place in the video game industry.

Outside of mobile apps, it seems like Marvel hasn’t had a concrete plan in their approach to gaming, as can be seen from the total absence of games outside of Lego titles and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, itself a misguided title that I described as a “fun fighting game, marred by subpar visuals and a greed-fueled roster of characters.” Things may not be dire for much longer though, as Insomniac’s Spider-Man could change video game stories as we know them. But how can Marvel and Insomniac accomplish this? One word: continuity.

The Marvel universe is a huge one, filled to the brim with some of the most iconic characters in pop culture. This is why the Marvel Cinematic Universe works so well, and why Marvel could establish the first fully fleshed-out Interactive Universe. Marvel was the first to nail the idea with movies, so who better than them to do the same thing with video games? But execution is half the battle (or more, realistically), so how does Marvel go about doing this?

Bryan Intihar has confirmed that the Avengers tower is present in Spider-Man, and that the Baxter Building (the home of the Fantastic Four) is not. This means that, at the very least, the Avengers have been established in Spider-Man’s universe. While we don’t know much about it, what if Square Enix’s upcoming Avengers game starred the very same Avengers that live and work in Insomniac’s New York? Little references to the events of Spider-Man would go a long way, but we can go even deeper.

Picture this: the credits roll on Spider-Man. The day is saved, the villains have been put away, and everything is peaceful. Suddenly, a phone rings. A shadowy figure picks up: “the Skrulls are coming”, a deep voice on the phone says. The agent turns around, revealing Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, Daisy Johnson, or any other notable agent. “Inform the Avengers, it’s time to assemble”, or a different but identically corny line. This leads straight into Square Enix’s Avengers while connecting the two games, creating the Marvel Interactive Universe.

Or maybe we go for a smaller-scale tease. A TV screen plays a news report: the election results are in, and Norman Osborn is the mayor (foreshadowed by the billboards seen in numerous trailers). A cell phone rings, and the figure watching the TV answers: “The Avengers? Alright, you know the deal. Wire half to my account now, half when it’s done. Your business is appreciated, Mr. Osborn.” The camera pans around the figure, revealing the legendary mercenary and villain Taskmaster. There are a million scenarios that could take place, so long as they connect the two games.

We can’t disregard the importance of building the individual game’s own universe though. Characters too small for their own games could provide side-quests or make cameo story appearances, ones that span different titles in the Marvel Interactive Universe. Spidey’s too busy dealing with Mr. Negative to keep tabs on Kingpin’s trial? Daredevil steps in to help, so long as Spidey helps Daredevil deal with the Serpent Society in a series of quests in the next game. Or maybe Morbius, a vampire villain of Spidey’s, is attacking citizens at night. While investigating, Spidey runs into Blade, and the two team-up to deal with the vampiric menace. Maybe Ghost Rider or Moon Knight is brought up towards the end, hinting at a Midnight Sons quest that will be in a later Marvel game. The possibilities are endless, and easier to implement than they would be in film, where actors and tangled-up character rights are in the way.

This kind of connected universe is what DC fans dreamt of when Rocksteady’s Arkham series started making references to Superman and the Justice League. While that seems unlikely now, this is the perfect opportunity for Marvel to step-in and pick up the slack. And if Marvel is successful, imagine how well other companies could adapt this strategy. I’m not saying this story-telling approach is right for all franchises (or even most of them), but opening the door to this kind of approach could lead to some fantastic long-running stories.

So do I think the Marvel Interactive Universe is likely? Yes. Maybe not in the way I’ve pitched it, but I think the idea of a wide-spanning continuity is too appealing for Marvel to pass up. Imagine looking forward to Marvel games in the same way that we can look forward to Marvel movies? To me, that’s nothing short of an ideal future. So long as the X-Men are there, I mean.