The second entry in Insomniac’s adaptation of Marvel’s beloved wallcrawler is already poised to be a cameo-filled event worthy of the comic books it is based on. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will reunite Peter Parker and Miles Morales while also throwing Venom into the mix for good measure. A new leak suggests that another familiar face will be returning to fight crime as well, and it's none other than the best character in the series so far: the bodega cat.
Toy company Hasbro began announcing official merchandise for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in January of 2023 with the reveal of a Peter Parker action figure. The company announced another figure in March for Miles Morales. The figure comes with its own bodega cat to keep Miles company when fighting crime. The inclusion of bodega cat suggests that the breakout star of the Miles Morales standalone game will return for the sequel.
For those not familiar with bodega cat, the character pops up early in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. He’s part of a Harlem-based side mission called “Looters!!!” This will introduce you to the local bodega cat of Teo’s Grocery/Bodega, who goes by the name Spider-Man (nicknamed Spider-Cat). After rescuing Spider-Cat from being catnapped you return him safely to Teo.
After completing the main quest of the game, you can return to Teo’s Bodega for the mission “The Cat’s Pajamas.” You will check in on Spider-Cat and be able to take him along with you to fight crime. This unlocks the Bodega Cat Suit, which you can equip to see Miles with a backpack carrying Spider-Cat who now dons his very own mask. Even cats need to protect their secret identity, although his real name isn’t hiding much.
The Bodega Cat Suit isn’t just for show: Spider-Cat helps out during combat by jumping out of the backpack and attacking enemies or occasionally cheering you on with little meows — which makes the Bodega Cat Suit the clear choice for crime fighting around New York.
Hasbro’s reveal that Spider-Cat will return in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gives players a hint at what we can see in the sequel. Most importantly, it suggests that Spider-Cat is alive and doing well, probably fighting crime along with Miles still. It also suggests that the game will bring back the costume as an accessory in-game, which also means that fans can look forward to even more fun outfits to unlock through side missions.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is set to bring together the stories of the two Spider-Men: Miles Morales and Peter Parker. Though little official information has been released regarding the game, multiple leaks suggest that players will take control of Peter Parker and Miles Morales at different points in the story. Outside of the main quest it could be possible that players will be able to choose which web crawler they want to swing around NYC, similar to how Grand Theft Auto V allows players to switch between protagonists at will.
The biggest question still remaining is if the game will also let players take the role of Venom. While the character is historically an antagonist to both Peter Park and Miles Morales, in recent years, the character has undergone a transformation into an anti-hero more in line with someone like the Punisher. So it isn’t impossible for the story to include a late-game twist that sees Venom join forces with the Spider-Men in order to defeat a great evil. Whatever Venom’s role, at least Miles and Peter will still have Spider-Cat to rely on.
