Executive vice president and head of Marvel Games, Jay Ong, revealed that Marvel sought a deal with Xbox for a game exclusive but was turned down, opening the door for its eventual agreement with Sony for Marvel's Spider-Man.

According to GameSpot, in an excerpt from Steven L. Kent's 2021 book, The Ultimate History of Video Games Vol. 2, Ong explained how the quality of Activision Blizzard's Amazing Spider-Man tie-in games displeased Marvel, leading the companies to eventual agree to end the licensing deal in 2014. Following the disbandment, Marvel sought out Microsoft for a potential exclusive partnership, but the company reportedly turned down the deal in favor of focusing on its own IPs.

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Based on a final conversation retold by Ong, the split between Activision and Marvel did not appear to be entirely congenial. When Activision questioned Marvel on their plans for the IP rights once they were returned, Ong told them it would be finding a "better home" for them. Activision reportedly replied, "good luck finding your unicorn," according to Ong.

Because of Microsoft's dismissal, Sony was able to swoop in with a pitch for an exclusive AAA experience should it acquire the Spider-Man IP video games rights. With Marvel's acceptance, Sony went on to develop 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man, a critical and fan-favorite hit with massive sales. Marvel's Spider-Man has racked up over 20 million copies sold in the nearly five years since its release. Its spin-off, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, sold a respectable 6.5 units since its late 2020 launch.

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In September 2021, Sony announced Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with a cinematic trailer. Sony confirmed both Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter, the voices of Peter Parker and Miles Morales, respectively, will reprise their roles in the sequel. Additionally, the trailer delighted fans by revealing Venom's appearance in the sequel, with Tony Todd voicing the gravely-voiced symbiote. PlayStation announced the casting in an official blog post alongside the trailer's launch, stating, "Speaking of villains, did you catch that final line at the end of the trailer? We’re so happy to announce that Tony Todd (of Candyman fame) will be voicing the symbiote-fueled Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2."

Alongside Todd's Venom, an additional unseen and unnamed character narrates the trailer. Many fans have surmised by both the accent and the content of the arrogant speech that the voice belongs to Kraven the Hunter, a long-time Spidey villain in the comics. Sony has not confirmed an exact release date, but it did say Marvel's Spider-Man 2 should launch sometime in 2023, likely as a PlayStation 5 exclusive.

Source: GameSpot