Back in 2018, Insomniac Games made history by releasing the first title in the Marvel's Spider-Man video game saga. Since then, players have seen the release of 3 DLC chapters, a spin-off, a remaster, a PC port, and even a direct sequel courtesy of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. But the one thing that has remained consistent through these entries in the franchise is that all roads lead to him. While it's true that the Green Goblin hasn't had his proper introduction in this world yet, the narrative has been slowly building his character up. Now, it's just a matter of "when" we'll get to see him, rather than "if".
At the time being, Marvel's Spider-Man 3 has yet to be "officially" announced. That being said, we know it's coming as Peter Parker's voice actor, Yuri Lowenthal, has openly talked about it and what his character's role will be in it. So all eyes are on the trilogy-capper to give us the Green Goblin and Spider-Man battle we've all been eager to see. But what if I told you that such a legendary battle could've arrived even sooner than expected?
Back in 2024, it was revealed that Insomniac was working on an online multiplayer game set in the Marvel's Spider-Man universe. Unfortunately, the title was ultimately cancelled before even being announced by Sony or PlayStation. On the bright side, it gave us our first look at iconic characters that are set to appear in the franchise soon.
Marvel's Spider-Man concept art offers first look at the Green Goblin, Silk, and more
Spider-Man: The Great Web might never come to be, but the work Insomniac poured into it might be used in other future titles. With that in mind, the concept art for this live-service game might give us a hint of what the Green Goblin's final design will look like.
An illustration features Norman Osborn within Oscorp Tower, as multiple "creatures" attack New York City on the outside. Granted, these villains might appear to resemble Skrulls at first sight, given their alien-like facial features. However, the gliders, purple capes, and pumpkin bombs are clear indicators that we're looking at multiversal variants of Spidey's greatest nemesis.
It's worth pointing out that this Goblin's design is radically different from the one featured in a different concept art, which is a common practice in the pre-production stage of gaming development, as the studio tests out which of many visions works best.
Just as players worldwide know that Norman Osborn is bound to turn into a supervillain, they know that a brand-new hero is also joining the franchise. The post-credits scene of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 revealed that Cindy Moon is coming, and all eyes are set on her to wear the Silk costume. And wouldn't you know it, but concept art for Spider-Man: The Great Web also features our first look at the iconic hero in all of her glory.
As if those reveals weren't enough, we can also see Madame Web in the middle of what appears to be the Web of Life and Destiny. Furthermore, Morlun is also present (who's very famous for being the main antagonist in multiversal Spider-Man storylines), and there are countless Spidey variants, such as Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Ben Reilly, and more.
Of course, of all the characters mentioned so far, only the Green Goblin and Silk are likely to appear in Marvel's Spider-Man 3. After all, the others make sense for a multiversal storyline only. That being said, there might be a slight chance that Sony and Insomniac are aware of all the positive reactions to the cancelled Spider-Man: The Great Web, and might look to include similar (albeit much smaller in scope) online multiplayer features in Marvel's Spider-Man 3. After all, the Uncharted games, which are known for being excellent single-player adventures, also had an online mode.
Only time will tell what's truly going on with the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise. But with a little bit of luck, we aren't too far away from official reveals, and perhaps even our first true look at the Green Goblin and Silk.