All cut content in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 that we know of

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a fantastic title that instantly took over our hearts. It surpasses its predecessor in scope, number of playable heroes, gameplay mechanics, and almost every aspect you could account for (excluding length, that is). But did you know it could've been even bigger than it was?

Developers often find themselves in a position where they need to cut a lot of content off from their video games. Whether it is due to budget constraints, tight schedules, or even technological limitations, most titles never tend to be fully "realized". Gamers usually experience just a fragment of a bigger and greater vision that may never see the light of day.

For as much as Marvel's Spider-Man 2 seems to be a complete and cohesive experience, it also had many elements cut off - ranging from story bits to gameplay mechanics. So it's time to break down all the missing features that we know of!

Separation Anxiety symbiotes

There are two symbiotic bosses in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The first one comes as quite a shock since it is Mary Jane Watson taking on the role of Scream. At that moment, Peter had to face his biggest challenge yet when going toe-to-toe with the person he loves the most. But if that wasn't enough, the final boss of Insomniac's latest Marvel title surpassed all expectations. Even if Venom's arc felt a little rushed, this final encounter served as a perfect conclusion to the game.

However, at some point, that list of two Venomized bosses was supposed to be much bigger. All symbiotes of the famous Separation Anxiety comic book storyline were planned to make an appearance. Exploring a PC build of the game revealed the existence of character models of Phage, Agony, Riot, and Lasher. Combine them with Scream, and the whole symbiotic crew would've been together.

Unfortunately, their introduction would've made the game significantly longer. Insomniac Games would've needed to create four additional bosses and expand the story to explore their backgrounds. Chances are that amount of work would've delayed the game for a significant amount of time, and that's why they needed to be cut.

Destructible environments

Leaked developer footage revealed that Insomniac toyed with the idea of including fully destructible environments on the map at some point. That mechanic would've added a lot of depth to the game and made random crime encounters several times more entertaining. Unfortunately, sometimes it becomes pretty difficult to adapt such a technically demanding mechanic to a huge open world. But while it was disappointing that this concept didn't make it into the final game, chances are it can make its way into Marvel's Spider-Man 3 or even a potential DLC set in a smaller playable area.

Interestingly enough, that same leaked footage also shows a confrontation between Venom and Spider-Man in the open world - something that didn't happen in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Perhaps Insomniac was just using the Venom model I.A. to test how bosses would mix with destructible environments. However, there's a chance they fully intended for this fight to take place but ended up cutting it due to time constraints.

Miles Morales bonded with the Symbiote

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all the list is that there was a time in which Miles Morales was supposed to bond with the symbiote. It's an interesting idea from a story standpoint since Miles was always the voice of reason (except when it came to Martin Li, that is). He was the one who made Peter regain his senses and ditch the black suit. So at what point exactly was the Brooklyn teenager supposed to be taken over by the symbiote?

Evan Filarca, the founder of the Spidey Squad, had a chance to attend Marvel's Spider-Man 2 panel at FAN EXPO San Francisco. During it, Evan reported that special guest and voice actor Tony Todd confirmed lines were recorded for a scene where Miles bonded with the symbiote.

It's interesting to know that the idea of Miles being overtaken by the symbiote was on the table at some point. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that we'll ever get to know the complete truth behind this unnerving mystery.

Venom would've shown up earlier in the story

If you've played through Marvel's Spider-Man 2, then you know that Venom made his long-awaited introduction during the last act of the story. However, inspecting a PC build of the game seems to indicate that wasn't always the case. Apparently, Venom could've entered the scene as early as act two. This would've allowed more breathing room for the Separation Anxiety storyline to be adapted.

Perhaps at this stage of development, Kraven's story wasn't as important which would've given Venom more screen-time. However, it seems more likely that the game was just meant to be longer from the very beginning, but that goal faded as Insomniac got closer to the release date. Even then, chances are we have yet to see the last of the Lethal Protector in Marvel's Spider-Man saga, and we can't wait for his grand return.

Kraven's trophy wall with Rhino

Kraven's hunt for an equal opponent got him at odds with almost every supervillain in New York City. The king of the hunt captured fan-favorite characters such as Scorpion, Vulture, Electro, and Shocker, only to face each one in battle and determine if they were worthy of taking his life. Unfortunately, none of these big-name villains were able to put up too much of a fight, and they all perished at the hands of Sergei Kravinoff.

But what we didn't get to see is that Kraven would've created a throne of sorts with the heads of these villains hanging on the wall like some trophy showcase. The worst part is the Rhino was meant to join them in such an unfortunate fate. This creepy throne room was found out of bounds in Marvel's Spider-Man 2's map. However, there should be a good reason why this scene didn't make it into the final game.

Insomniac could've felt like permanently taking down five iconic Spider-Man villains at the same time was too much. Maybe they have plans in store for Rhino in the future, which is why they removed any reference to his death (except this room which wasn't meant to be found in the first place). So until we're told otherwise, we should assume he's still alive and well destroying the city of New York like in the good old times.

Symbiote Sandman and the Daily Bugle invasion

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 kicks things off with a bang by giving players an amazing introductory boss battle. Even if Sandman's boss served as a tutorial, it was one of the most memorable moments in the game. So it's surprising to know we could've seen a much more dangerous rematch.

In an interview with IGN, Insomniac's senior creative director Bryan Intahar revealed that there were concepts art for a symbiote-infected Sandman who would've fought Spider-Man at some point in the story. Unfortunately, this idea was left on the cutting room floor to keep the game's scope within reach. But fingers crossed we get to see that idea realized in the future, as it sounds very fun to play through.

Speaking of concept arts, one picture of a previously unseen symbiote invasion surfaced online. It showcases many Venomized henchmen attacking the Daily Bugle while Mary Jane and J. Jonah Jameson are in it. Perhaps this would've acted as one of M.J.'s stealth missions, with a pretty different setting from anything we've seen before in these levels. It would've been an interesting idea to explore, so it's unfortunate it didn't come to be.

Do you think any of these cut ideas would've made Marvel's Spider-Man 2 a better game? Or were they better left behind on the cutting room floor? Let us know on our social media pages! And stick around Whatever A Spider Can for everything Spider-Man related.