This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This year has been a very good time to be aSpider-Manfan. 2021 started with many fans of the wall-crawler still making their way through the enjoyableSpider-Man: Miles Morales, and then as the summer months dragged on, Marvel released the stunning first trailer forSpider-Man: No Way Home. Now that the film is finally out and audiences have been able to soak in all of the magnificent sights, manySpider-Manfans are looking towards the future of the character. For gamers all around the world, one of the most anticipated steps in that future is the long-awaitedMarvel’s Spider-Man 2from Insomniac.
Interestingly enough, the newest Spider-Man film may have given fans a slight tease for the upcoming Insomniac sequel.Spider-Man: No Way Homemanaged to slip in a couple ofreferences toMarvel’s Spider-Manthroughout its multiversal madness, but there was a brief moment during the film’s climactic third act where various beings could be seen trying to come through a tear in spacetime. While many of the forms were difficult to properly identify, one of them strongly resembled a Spider-Man villain who is being teased forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2: Kraven the Hunter.
RELATED:Spider-Man: No Way Home Features Two Great Nods To Marvel’s Spider-Man
Kraven the Hunter Explained
Spider-Man has built up a laundry list of ferocious foes over the decades, some of them more popular than others. While names likeGreen Goblinand Doc Ock are known the world over, Kraven the Hunter as a character is a bit of a deep cut for those that aren’t overly invested in the comics. Nevertheless, Kraven is one of the most challenging villains that Spider-Man has had to take on, as he is a master tactician with a keen eye towards big game hunting. Kraven views Spider-Man as the greatest hunt of all, and unsuccessfully tries to defeat the webhead on numerous occasions to prove that he is the best hunter in the world.
While he has a flair for dramatic fashion choices, Kraven has never had the same mainstream success as other villains like Venom or even Electro. However, by giving a brief look at the character inNo Way Home, Spider-Man fans that usually engage with the character through the films now have some sort of baseline forwhen Kraven shows up inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2. Creating that foundation in even the smallest sense should get some fans thinking about the character, so when Kraven eventually appears inSpider-Man 2, more gamers won’t be completely unfamiliar with the villain.
A True Cohesion Of Spider-Man Gaming And Film
Ifthe massive box office success ofSpider-Man: No Way Homeis any indication, a wide range of fans are ready for all elements of the character to be embraced in all pieces of media. The appearance of so manyMarvel’s Spider-Maneaster eggs inNo Way Homeis a true testament to how successful Insomniac’s superhero venture was, and the fact that the film could be teasing the next installment shows just how influential the game has been on Spider-Man’s legacy as a whole. It just goes to show that if there’s any Marvel hero who can transcend all forms of entertainment, it’s the webhead.
The fact that video games once provided cheap film tie-ins for Hollywood blockbusters, and now those same films are taking elements from popular games, demonstrates how far the gaming industry has come. Comic book properties have always been about crossovers, so seeingNo Way Homeleverage that mentality by potentially providing a small nod toMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is a big step towards fully merging the two art forms. Hopefully, whenthe release ofSpider-Man 2draws closer, the game will be able to better market itself on Kraven’s appearance thanks to this brief showing inNo Way Home.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is set to release in 2023 on the PS5.
MORE:The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Could be Great as a Video Game
