Major Obstacle Emerges for Villain in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Insomniac's Spider-Man games have set a high bar for villainous adversaries in the world of comics, with Marvel's Spider-Man featuring iconic foes such as Kingpin, Doctor Octopus, and the Sinister Six, as well as highlighting lesser-known villains like Screwball and Tombstone. Although Spider-Man: Miles Morales had a smaller cast of villains, they were still fleshed-out and enjoyable to combat. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has big shoes to fill, but it appears to be rising to the challenge. With a larger New York City, enhanced combat and abilities, and the introduction of new features such as the Symbiote suit and Web Wings, the game promises a grander experience with a host of new foes. While only Venom, Kraven the Hunter, and The Lizard have been confirmed thus far, fans can expect more villains to join the fray, although one returning villain may struggle to adapt to the game's changes.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Taskmaster Could Struggle to Stand Out

Taskmaster, a notorious villain who made his debut in the comics in 1980, has become a popular B-list antagonist for various Marvel characters, including the Avengers, Ant-Man, and Spider-Man himself. His unique ability to memorize and flawlessly mimic the fighting style of any opponent he faces makes him a formidable match for many Marvel superheroes who rely on physical strength and endurance. Taskmaster's overpowering skillset makes him a challenging villain to adapt, particularly in a video game context, but Marvel's Spider-Man successfully accomplished this feat.

In Marvel's Spider-Man, Taskmaster makes a minor appearance as an antagonist. Similar to Azrael in Batman: Arkham, Taskmaster can be seen observing Spider-Man as he traverses New York City during free-roam and takes down criminals. Eventually, Taskmaster confronts Spider-Man and tasks him with completing a series of challenges to gather data on the hero. After the completion of these challenges, Taskmaster engages in a fight with Spider-Man, utilizing laser-powered restraints to mimic the web attacks and adopting the same aerial-focused combat style as the hero. Though Spider-Man eventually gains the upper hand over Taskmaster, the villain retreats, vowing to gather more data on the Wall-Crawler before their next clash.

Taskmaster's appearance in Marvel's Spider-Man provided a solid introduction to the character, but there's still room for improvement in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. If executed correctly, Taskmaster could become one of the game's best bosses. Although not yet confirmed, the latest trailer hinted at Taskmaster's return. However, in order to stand out in the sequel, Taskmaster must be given a new set of missions with a different structure from the challenges in the first game. Additionally, Taskmaster needs to remain a formidable opponent for Peter and Miles, who now possess powerful new abilities. Insomniac will need to find a way to make Taskmaster a worthy adversary despite not being able to mimic their unique powers.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches this fall, exclusively for PlayStation 5.