Ahead of Insomniac Games’ appearance at San Diego Comic Con, the team spoke with Entertainment Weekly for an exclusive look inside Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Insomniac Games unveils the process of getting Tony Todd to play as Venom, how the symbiote/Venom play into Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s story, and a brand new image of Venom in all of his glory.
Bryan Intihar, Senior Creative Director at Insomniac Games, was daunted by the task of casting the person to voice Venom. Being one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains across his rogues’ gallery, it was a tall order for Intihar. He calls it:
“One of the things I was avoiding for as long as possible, because I was so scared of who we were going to get to do the voice.”
Tony Todd, a veteran horror actor who played Candyman in 1992, is making his big splash within gaming on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. He’s done voices in other video games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Back 4 Blood but those roles are miniscule in comparison to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Senior Art Director at Insomniac Games, Jacinda Chew, describes Venom as the “anti-Spider-Man,” which makes Todd’s role as even more important as he stars alongside Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales/Spider-Man).
Tony Todd’s Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 from the PlayStation Showcase 2021: Reveal Trailer
Intihar became aware of Tony Todd when his voice was featured in a Candyman (2021) trailer. Todd also submitted an audition tape for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, almost like it was meant to be. Regarding Todd’s performance, Intihar said:
“Everything we talked about [with] Venom — that sense of strength, that sense of fear, that sense of overwhelming, so different from Peter — Tony embraces that completely in the performance.”
Related: Ahead of Monumental SDCC Appearance, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Gets a Head of Steam with Train Art
What’s at stake in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Spider-Men in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
To those that have played and finished 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man, Insomniac Games have been setting up the symbiote storyline since that post-credit scene. Players see Harry Osborn, Peter and MJ’s best friend, tangled up in the symbiote as his father, Norman Osborn, is trying to find a cure for the Oshtoran Syndrome, the same illness that took Harry’s mother’s life years prior.
In regards to the symbiote/Venom and how it works with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s story, Intihar explains:
“It’s about power, it’s about strength, it’s about being slighted, it’s about Peter being involved much more in the creation of Venom. I think that’s what attracted us.”
Based on the post-credit scene from Marvel’s Spider-Man and what Insomniac Games are planning for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it’s going to be a very personal story to our Spider-Men and how the symbiote affects not just them but those around them as well. Senior Narrative Director, Jon Paquette, details what’s to come in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Dr. Curt Connors, who eventually turns into the Lizard, is the one who’s supposed to help with Harry’s illness. As chaos starts to spiral, the darkness shadows over Peter as he takes on the symbiote. On the story, Paquette said:
“It’s the loved ones and the family around the host who has to see what’s happening to the person that they love. There’s a lot of juicy drama that we can get from that.”
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release later this year on October 20 exclusively on the PlayStation 5. More information on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is coming tomorrow during their San Diego Comic-Con panel in Hall H, July 20 at 2:30pm Pacific Time (PT). What do you think about Tony Todd’s Venom so far? Will you be picking up Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launch day? Let us know in the comments!
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