Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Is Now Facing A Much Bigger Challenge

1 hour ago 12

Published Aug 9, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot.

There’s no telling when Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 will be released, though it seems fair to assume that it won’t launch before PlayStation’s harrowing all-digital future commences at the beginning of 2028, whether or not it turns out to be a PlayStation 6 launch title. No matter how far out Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 is, players’ expectations are going to be astronomical, especially with fans’ disappointment in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 seemingly growing louder by the day.

Funny enough, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day serves as a big reminder of why the Marvel’s Spider-Man games are as beloved as they are. Insomniac’s games have always paid tribute to the massive Spider-Man movie costume catalog by adapting these suits as cosmetic skins, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day has paid the favor back in kind by basically making every stunt-filled fight sequence a loving tribute to the unmistakable gameplay signature of Marvel’s Spider-Man.

Brand New Day Is Basically Marvel’s Spider-Man 3

Brand New Day’s Marvel’s Spider-Man influences are not implicit. In fact, in many ways, Spider-Man: Brand New Day could be a spiritual movie adaptation of Marvel’s Spider-Man. For example, there are combat maneuver animations in the games that are replicated identically in the movie, such as a spinning dodge, and the Department of Damage Control (DODC) tank chase sequence.

This parallels the tank pursuit in Marvel’s Spider-Man, down to Spider-Man web-yanking the vehicle to try to get it to turn sharply. The latter is also probably at least one of the reasons why the rumor of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s main villain being Mister Negative was so believable when it first sprouted—that, and there was a red, horned demon logo on the tank itself.

The movie and the games don’t have a lot in common narratively, but it’s interesting that Spider-Man is thriving in both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Marvel’s Spider-Man, while Peter Parker is the one struggling and not taking enough time out of his life to actually be ‘Peter Parker.’ This is something he corrects by reconnecting with MJ and Ned at the end of the movie, and by moving in with MJ and letting Miles Morales handle Spider-Man duties by himself at the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Uh-Oh, Insomniac’s Spider-Man Is A Big Deal Now

Now that the MCU has been so transparent about drawing inspiration from Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man games, it would be interesting to know if Insomniac feels any added pressure to deliver on something incredible with Marvel’s Wolverine, Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, and any other Marvel games it develops, as they’ll likely be used as a baseline or template for action choreography in future MCU movies.

Scorpion is dead, Mister Negative has turned a new leaf, and Peter and MJ are lovers Insomniac’s Spider-Man universe, whereas the MCU cannot idly debut a Doctor Octopus or Green Goblin without stepping on the toes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and doesn’t seem like it wishes to rush headlong into a rehashed Peter and MJ romance. That said, Insomniac has to be elated to know that any creative finisher animations it conceives and designs may be plucked out of a hat for a future Spider-Man movie to take inspiration from and adapt.

Moreover, considering how much Tom Holland has talked about wanting to pass the torch, it will be fun to see if Marvel’s Spider-Man’s introduction to Miles will influence how the MCU eventually introduces him. There’s no word yet on whether the MCU is eager to recast or keep Hugh Jackman around for as many more movies as possible, and yet it wouldn’t be surprising if, in their next appearance, our live-action Wolverine copies a ton of the animations seen in Marvel’s Wolverine’s gameplay.

It’s not as if Insomniac wouldn’t feel an enormous weight on its shoulders otherwise, of course. Marvel’s Wolverine and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 are two of PlayStation’s most highly anticipated exclusive games, and fans will be expecting a handful of excellent set pieces, gratifying combat, and stunning animations nonetheless.