Just like in many other iterations of the character’s story, ranging from the comics and Raimi films to the MCU and animated properties, J. Jonah Jameson is a thorn in Peter’s side duringMarvel’s Spider-Man. His criticism of the webslinger is constant, as Jameson finds himself hosting a podcast instead of running theDaily Buglelike usual. This platform allows Peter, and by extension the player, a chance to listen to Jonah’s entertaining rants about the vigilante.
As one would expect, Jameson’s criticism of Peter is at best misguided and at worst completely false, with the former journalist either twisting the narrative or making up lies about the friendly neighborhood hero. Most of the people who call into his show praise Spider-Man as a hero, infuriating Jonah since he views him as a menace. However, with the Symbiote coming into play forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac has a chance to flip the narrative on its head and prove J. Jonah Jameson right.
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Symbiote Spider-Man Could Be The Villain J. Jonah Jameson Has Been Waiting For
Part of the appeal of Jonah as a character is that he is almost always in the wrong, with numerous comedic moments coming as a result of his failed attempts to shame New York City’s most beloved superhero. However, with the next entry in Insomniac’s beloved franchise, the roles could finally be reversed a bit, with Peter Parker’s unhinged actions asSymbiote Spider-Manmaking him into a proper menace.
Gamers saw an early look at Peter’s more aggressive nature in the gameplay demo from2023’s PlayStation Showcase, with the original wall-crawler boasting violent Symbiote attacks and a less playful attitude than usual. Miles Morales is unsettled by this behavioral shift, and while it was memed by the community, Peter tossing down the civilian he saves is the perfect example of a topic Jameson would love to delve into with his podcast. As Peter wears the Symbiote for longer, he could cause more damage to the city and the people he saves, giving Jonah endless material and actual evidence of Spider-Man being a nuisance.
This would be interesting for a few reasons. First, from a comedic standpoint, Peter Parker becoming more of an anti-hero than a do-gooder could placeJ. Jonah Jamesonin a “boy who cried wolf situation.” After years of ranting and raving about someone beloved by everyone for no real reason, listeners could laugh off the genuine criticism he has about Black Suit Spider-Man. Jonah actually being right and saying that he always was - but being ignored since he has lied for so long - could be utterly hilarious.
However, aside from some more laughs at Jonah’s expense,Peter Parkerbeing an actual problem could lead to some character development for Jonah. He could be less of a parody and more of a genuine character, dropping his act and showing some serious fear once Peter becomes dangerous. He could even confront Spider-Man himself, revealing that though everything he said before was just bait for views and founded on lies, Spidey has become what Jonah always feared. Perhaps Jonah could even work with Scorpion once again to take Spider-Man down once he becomes unhinged, and depending on how far Peter ends up going, he could actually be right to do so.
Whether it is played purely for laughs or something more, Spider-Man actually being a menace inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2allows for some fresh storytelling opportunities. Hopefully,Insomniac Gamesleans into the idea of J. Jonah Jameson being Peter’s biggest critics for years. Whether Peter goes to Jonah to silence him, Jonah changes his tune in fear, or Insomniac takes things in a more comedic direction, Symbiote Spider-Man is a perfect chance to do something different with this enduring rivalry.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2launches on October 20 for PS5.
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