A recent comment by one of Marvel's Spider-Man's actors has indicated that developer Insomniac will be changing the face of Harry Osborn in its sequel, Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Harry Osborn appeared in photos in Marvel's Spider-Man, and pre-recorded audio messages gave players a glimpse at Insomniac's take on the character as he talked Peter through his various Oscorp-funded research stations across the game's open world. Peter believed his best friend was on a trip to Europe throughout the events of the first game, but it was revealed in an end credits scene that Norman Osborn was experimenting on his son to cure him of a terminal illness, using the Venom symbiote to do so.
As reported by Osborn becomes Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, or if his return leads to the antagonist-turned-antihero's more traditional alter-egos like Eddie Brock. While Porter has stated that he's "bummed" by the decision, he did say he understood it, and that he believes the sequel is going to be "incredible". His full statement can be read below:
While I voiced Harry in the first Spider-Man I unfortunately will not be in the sequel. They decided to go photo real and the difference between me and Harry’s ages was too much to overcome I believe. I was bummed but I get it. Gonna be an incredible game.
Insomniac Also Changed Peter Parker's Face In Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
Of course, Harry Osborn won't be the first character whose actor has been changed by Insomniac between Marvel's Spider-Man games. Prior to 2020's Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (and the remastered version of Marvel's Spider-Man that was included in its Ultimate Edition bundle on PS5), Insomniac changed Peter Parker's face model from John Bubniak to Ben Jordan. The reason given was that the developer wanted to deliver more believable-looking characters, and Jordan's face provided a better match to Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal, who does the motion capture and voice acting for Peter Parker.
The change to Peter Parker's face proved to be controversial with fans. A common complaint was that the character looked younger due to the change, resembling the Tom Holland iteration of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, rather than the more mature, college graduate version of Peter that had been established in Insomniac's story. Some went so far as to say that the new version of Peter looked younger than Miles Morales, the fellow Spider-Man and high-school student who Peter is trying to mentor.
It's unlikely that Porter's recasting will prove as controversial, given Harry Osborn was only depicted in icons and biographies in the first game. Players didn't get to spend as much time with the character as they did with Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man, but given how Porter's tweet was in response to a fan's excitement to see him return for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 following the actor's performance as Heimdall in God of War Ragnarok, it could still cause disappointment among fans when the game releases in 2023.
Sources: Imgur (via GamesRadar+)
