Veteran fans of Insomniac’s Spider-Man series of games may have noticed the absence of a fun Easter egg in Spider-Man 2 that at first glance might have been a developer error. It turns out this small map change was very much deliberate, and may even allude to future content.
As IGN’s Spider-Man 2 Easter eggs guide explains, players who explored the previous Spider-Man games could discover Nelson and Murdock's plaque on a building in Hell's Kitchen, suggesting these Daredevil characters ran their law firm from there. Interestingly, in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 the plaque remains but all text is gone, perhaps implying the duo relocated elsewhere.
We spoke to Insomniac senior creative director Bryan Intihar on a spoilercast episode of Beyond to ask about the removal of Spider-Man’s Daredevil Easter egg. His answer certainly suggests Insomniac is up to something.
“That's a good question,” Intihar said. “Stay tuned. Good find though.”
Speculation time! Insomniac has so far teased a potential Venom spin-off, and it seems certain Spider-Man 3 is already in the works. Insomniac is also working on a Wolverine game. Perhaps Nelson and Murdock packed up and left New York to set up shop elsewhere, which would open up the possibility of some fresh antics from Daredevil, should he wish to make an appearance outside the city. Or perhaps Insomniac plans to add a DLC to Spider-Man 2 that involves Nelson and Murdock’s law firm being in a different location than before.
It’s worth remembering that Spider-Man 2 contains loads of Easter eggs, many of which point to other Marvel superheroes. There are nods to Doctor Strange and Wong. The Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building is present and correct, as is The Avengers tower. Ganke mentions the Rand Corporation, which teases the existence of Iron Fist. While superheroes other than the Spider-Men are conspicuous by their absence in the game, something a recent comic book referenced, perhaps Insomniac plans a Heroes for Hire or Defenders spin-off / DLC of some kind.
We chatted with Intihar about absolutely everything Spider-Man 2, including an unused idea for a Venomized Sandman, why Mary Jane's stealth missions are back, and more. We've got a comprehensive guide to the origins of every unlockable costume, and a guide on how to unlock all those outfits in the first place.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.