Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be the character's solo foray in the world of video games. The PlayStation 5 launch title, also coming to the PS4 (without next-gen enhancements), sees him step into the spotlight after being introduced in 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man.
As exciting as it is to see Miles star in a video game, Peter Parker's absence remains the elephant in the room. Since Spider-Man: Miles Morales picks up a year after its predecessor, it's hard not to wonder what's going on with the original Spider-Man, whom players spent so may hours with in the first game. Here are some theories about Parker's fate.
Peter Parker Is Dead
Miles Morales was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli as a replacement for the Ultimate Universe's Peter Parker. In the appropriately titled "Death of Spider-Man," Parker dies in a final battle with the Green Goblin. In his absence, Miles takes up the mantle of Spider-Man, starting in Ultimate Fallout #4.
Miles' cinematic debut, the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, loosely adapts that chain of events. Following the death of his universe's Spider-Man, Miles trains with an alternate reality Peter Parker. He eventually takes on the role of Spider-Man after defeating the Kingpin and sending the alternate reality Spiders back to their home dimensions.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales may very well follow in the footsteps of these stories. They're the two most prominent narratives featuring the character. If Insomniac aims to follow source material more closely than in the first game, this would be one way to achieve that.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Is Part of the Spider-Verse
The potential death of Parker in Miles Morales could hint at a wider development in Spidey video games. It might be the first step to a full-blown Spider-Verse video game. Beyond giving Miles his first starring role, it could lead to starring roles for characters from Gwen Stacy's Ghost-Spider to Spider-Man 2099, or even a modern version of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimension's multiple playable characters.
If nothing else, taking place in an alternate universe version of the first game's New York City would give the developers license to differentiate the title from the original. It would allow them to create a new version of the city for players to explore with Morales, keeping the game from becoming repetitive for people who played through the first.
A Spider-Verse would also account for Spider-Man's appearances in other Marvel video games. Marvel's Avengers is not in the same universe as Sony's Spider-Man games. The Spider-Man who exclusively appears in Avengers will also be exclusive to that game's universe.
Peter Parker Is Operating Internationally
Peter Parker doesn't have to be dead for Miles to be operating in his place. Sony could follow the current status quo of the comics, where both Spider-Men operate at the same time in the same universe.
They might specifically be using the status quo from when Miles Morales first joined the mainstream Marvel Universe. Following 2015's Secret Wars crossover event, Peter became a jet-setting CEO in the vein of Iron Man. Miles operated as the traditional "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" in Peter's absence from the city and street-level super heroics.
The video game Peter wasn't on that trajectory; he was still struggling financially. His boss Otto Octavius's tragic fall from grace in the game left him without a job. Parker might still find himself outside of New York City during the events of Miles Morales.
At the end of the City Never Sleeps DLC, Mary Jane heads to Symkaria to cover the war there as an investigative reporter. Peter may very well have joined her there by the time Miles Morales takes place. That not only allows Miles to have the spotlight to himself but could set up a second game starring Peter down the road.
Until Sony's ready to feature multiple Spider-Men in its games, it's for the best that Peter Parker stay on the sidelines for the Miles Morales game. It helps keep the spotlight on a new character that gives the franchise much-needed representation and a fresh perspective. It also helps fans miss Parker enough to be excited for his inevitable return. If Miles Morales does as well as it should, it could give Sony the "problem" of having two wildly popular Spider-Men to make games about for years to come.