Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is bringing back a major villain from its first game - Mr. Negative - with new details revealed during SDCC 2023. Insomniac Games' highly-anticipated superhero sequel had a major showcase at San Diego Comic-Con with its "Symbiotic Relationships" panel that explored the relationships between the title's main characters and gave players a first look at a new story trailer.

Martin Li and his villainous alter-ego, Mr. Negative, played a huge role in the first Marvel's Spider-Man title, and his actions throughout the game had a huge impact on both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. An attack carried out by him and his Inner Demons gang was responsible for the death of the then non-superpowered Miles Morales' father, Jefferson Davis, and his involvement in the Devil's Breath outbreak led to the tragic death of Peter's aunt, and Martin Li's close partner at the F.E.A.S.T. homeless shelter, May Parker.

Martin Li's Return Will Have A Huge Impact On Miles Morales

The San Diego Comic-Con panel focused primarily on the game's main antagonist, Venom, and a story trailer made it clearer than ever that the symbiotic villain's host will be Harry Osborn in Insomniac's iteration. Despite this, Nadji Jeter, the voice of Miles Morales, spoke about Marvel's Spider-Man's Martin Li returning and how it impacts Miles personally after the supervillain appeared with a beard, long hair, and wearing a R.A.F.T. prisoner uniform in the new footage.

Jeter pointed out that he didn't think the Marvel's Spider-Man series would revisit the Mr. Negative story after the villain was apprehended at the end of the first game and didn't appear at all in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, despite Jefferson Davis' death looming heavily over Miles and his mother Rio Morales as they moved from Brooklyn into Harlem. Jeter went on to explain how Li's return created a "lot of emotions" on set, and compared Miles' arc with Rio to his own life experience, stating that a lot of these emotions came from the fact that he was also raised by a single mom.

Mr. Negative Appeared In Kraven's Great Hunt List

Insomniac had already hinted at Mr. Negative's return in its 2023 PlayStation Showcase footage. Prior to 11 minutes of gameplay that showed Peter donning the Venom symbiote as he and Miles pursue The Lizard along the East River, a trailer introduced Kraven the Hunter, and the idea of his "great hunt". This clip showed Kraven becoming tired of hunting merely skilled humans and seeking out "worthy prey", before one of his fellow hunters recommends moving his hunt to New York due to the high number of superpowered beings there.

A tablet containing a list of highly skilled characters such as Black Cat, Prowler, and Wraith was handed to Kraven, however, it also showcased new villains such as The Lizard, and nearly every superpowered foe from the first Marvel's Spider-Man game. Therefore, it's possible that Martin Li may appear in a sequence that sees Kraven hunting the convicts in the R.A.F.T. prison, where Li, Otto Octavius, and the rest of the Sinister Six are residing.

During the SDCC panel, attended by Screen Rant, Jeter pointed out that Mr. Negative is "owning his power" in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, hinting that players would definitely see his villainous side, rather than just Martin Li. Such a sequence could see Miles conflicted as he has to stop Kraven but also comes face-to-face with the man who killed his father once more.

Insomniac is ramping up the marketing for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 prior to its October 20 release date with custom PS5 designs and new trailers. Hopefully, fans won't have to wait too much longer to see what happens when a superpowered Miles and Mr. Negative meet again, and how their showdown will play out. Outside of his interaction with Miles, it will also be interesting to see how Li plays into the wider Venom story, considering how he is responsible for the creation of Anti-Venom in the comics.

Source: PlayStation