Marvel's Avengers Spider-Man Isn't Insomniac's Version of the Character
Spider-Man's reveal as a PlayStation exclusive character in Marvel's Avengers has ruffled some feathers. While it's understandable that Sony wants to keep its character for itself, it's largely been decried as an anti-consumer move by fans, especially considering how popular the character is. Complicating things even further is the fact that it isn't the same Spider-Man as the one featured in Insomniac's game.
The information is relatively easy to miss, but part of some key phrasing from Marvel's Avengers Associate Art Director Jeff Adams, who wrote the PlayStation Blog post detailing Spider-Man as a PlayStation-exclusive character. In the post, Adams states that Spider-Man is "our own Crystal Dyanmics take on Spider-Man." That paints a pretty clear picture that Insomniac's version is entirely distinct from this one.
Admittedly, the decision makes sense. Spider-Man for PS4 was a narrative-driven experience, which will be expanded on when the game inevitably receives sequels. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is also just a few months away, and rather than cause confusion and possible story conflicts, it's understandable that Crystal Dynamics and Sony wanted a new iteration of the character.
However, it does play into the "Spider-Verse" nature of the character pretty well, especially since the explosive popularity of Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a few years ago. Having multiple Peter Parkers — and the numerous other characters that pick up the mantle — isn't foreign to fans of the character, though it may cause some confusion among audiences less invested in comics.
Details about Spider-Man in the Avengers game are still pretty sparse, other than the fact that it won't be Insomniac's version, and that he'll be releasing sometime next year. It is, of course, still disappointing for those without a PlayStation console, as Spider-Man is one of the most immediately recognizable heroes ever created, but it all comes down to it simply being business.
It's also as of yet unclear if other versions of Avengers will have their own exclusive heroes. It would be an unfortunate way to split fans, though it may level the playing field to some degree. Ideally, the Spider-Man exclusivity arrangement would simply be timed, but it's unlikely that will end up being the case, when all as said and done.
Fans still have the Avengers beta to look forward to, and Crystal Dynamics has been sharing for more details about the game as of late. Hopefully, it's engaging enough to keep fans of Spider-Man interested, even if they won't be able to play as him.
Marvel's Avengers is in development now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will be released at a later date.
Source: PlayStation Blog
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