Summary
Spider-Man has no shortage of villains, and with the sheer amount of antagonists he has come across there was always bound for some to be more enjoyable than others. It is a boon for certain antagonists or characters to be featured more than others as well, but that also comes with popularity and who fans may want to see when they’re reading, watching, or playing something in Spider-Man media. Characters likeDoctor Octopus, Venom, and Green Goblin are ubiquitous, for example, but there is still a profound love fans maintain for niche, unsung villains such as Shocker, Dr. Von Schlick, or Kangaroo.
Marvel’s Spider-Manhas kept fairly firm in showcasing classic antagonists, which made sense with how the first entry was fans’ introduction to that interpretation of the wall-crawler and his villains. This meant that Insomniac needed to be able to easily introduce villains that fans could instantly identify, whilelesser-known villains such as Mr. Negativecould have much more screen time and be developed in their entirety. It may be upsetting to some fans, then, that whileMarvel’s Spider-Man 2features a Big Wheel, it is unfortunately not the absurd and beloved villain who shares the same name.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Big Wheel Reference Might Be as Close as Fans Get
Big Wheel will almost always take the cake asSpider-Man’s most stupefying and bombastic villain, to the point where fans can be sure he would never appear in anything unironically nowadays. Big Wheel is literally a man in a big wheel, and though there are modifications or weaponry that could potentially be constructed onto the wheel to make it more interesting, there may never be a sillier or more unfounded villain premise.
It’s precisely this absurdity, rather, that endears him to some fans. Insomniac must be cognizant of this, forinMarvel’s Spider-Man 2there is a clear reference to Big Wheelas the self-indulgent name for Coney Island’s amusement park Ferris wheel. This is no clear sign that Big Wheel will be included as an antagonist, and in fact it points toward the opposite being true instead.
Insomniac is likely wanting to poke fun at the character and reference him without actually needing to include him in-game, thus naming a Ferris wheel after him. It would now be quite hysterical if Big Wheel was to make an entrance inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, and if anyone could make him humorous and legendary as an antagonist it would surely be Insomniac. However, it is more likely that Insomniac has decided not to indulge fans to that degree by playing into how much of a meme it would be to see him in a side quest or opening set piece sequence.
Having Big Wheel would not be the most eccentric choice Insomniac has made with theMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise, though it would ultimately take away from a spot that another potential villain could have, and the potential for fun memes is perhaps less exciting than having fully fleshed antagonists, especially ifMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is meant to be dreary and dramatic. The tone of the sequel is important to consider here, but if the sequel needs a bit of frivolity in-universe, Big Wheel could definitely play that role. Either way, Insomniac’s reference to Big Wheel is endearing, even if it’s as close to seeing the villain in action as fans might get.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2launches on October 20, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
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