How Spider-Man PS4 Sets Up Marvel's Gaming Universe
Marvel Cinematic Universe? Meet the MGU.
Spider-Man PS4 has fast become the gaming event of the year, and it's clear this is only just the beginning.
On top of that delicious, mind-blowing ending that sets up an obvious sequel, Insomniac have included a veritable smörgåsbord of Easter eggs, references and secrets in an attempt to flesh out their interpretation of the Marvel mythos. The studio have followed in the steps of Batman: Arkham in doing so, but while Warner Bros. are yet to capitalise on the obvious spin-off potential Rocksteady Studios have conjured, with Spider-Man, it's clear that we'll be seeing more of this universe in the months and years to come.
Insomniac's Marvel-ised New York includes references to the Avengers (as well as their West Coast counterpart), Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Doctor Strange and countless others. There's a mythos to be mined, and though none of these allusions to the wider Marvel Universe pay off in a cameo, Insomniac's version of Marvel feels lived in - and it's sure to be something Marvel Games are aware of.
With two more triple-A video games coming from the House of Ideas - those being Square Enix's Avengers Project and Guardians of the Galaxy - there's a good chance Spider-Man just kickstarted Marvel's own gaming universe. Ignoring for a second Spidey's exclusivity and the fact that these cross-platform titles would effectively be handing Sony free promotion, it looks a no-brainer for Marvel to coin the MGU and set about replicating the magic of the comics - and the MCU - in a different medium, complete with crossovers, team-ups, and cameos aplenty.